In The Best Interest
by LOSE IT ALL
Summary: After dealing with the SOM kids and Cole and Kristin, Peter and Sophie decide to open a Junior-Horizon year-around. At first only 5 kids are there. Kind of hard to explain; click for summary! FINISHED
1. Default Chapter

In The Best Interest--Intro--  
  
This isn't exactly a chapter, the next few chapters will be a day in the life...like JUNIOR CLIFFHANGERS and then go to when they're being taken to Horizon. This is to just introduce the story line+characters.  
  
**KATIE DOES NOT BELONG TO ME, BUT EVERYONE ELSE DOES EXCEPT COLE AND THE CLIFFHANGERS WHO BELONG TO HGMONKEY017 AND FOX FAMILY [they don't deserve them!] Katie belongs to flamingteen so check out her and Cole's stories!**  
  
Summary: After dealing with the kids from the Summer and especially Cole and Kristin, Peter and Sophie realize that it's not only the older kids or 'special circumstances' kids who need help. So, he sets up Mount Horizon Junior High from funds his father left him. It's not much. Just a few extra dorms near the High School to serve as boy/girl dorms and a classroom. What he didn't count on was a brat, a prejiduced girl, and sooo much more!  
  
This story will be more humor than the others which is why it's drama/humor. I've also tried to differ their stories from the other kids from SOM and the Cliffhangers. I'm not giving ALL their pasts away right away. Some will be mysteries...  
  
All kids are from ages 13-14 so Peter and Sophie are thinking about putting Kristin and Cole in there, but this doesn't go well with them, the CLiffhangers, or the new kids.  
  
**Girls**  
  
Name: Katie Mathis Age: 14 DOB: September 18, 1988 Parents: Mother, Lynn, stepfather David [father deceased] Siblings: older brother Kevin, 16 Record: Was an honor student until she came into middle school. Gets along with all teachers [mainly] except band teacher. Extensive disruptive behavior record, from band teacher and all teachers. No drug use or alcohol use, but has skipped school-particulary band-many times. Story: This is one that I'm not gonna give away right away! But you can kinda sorta get a hint. A basis is that her stepfather pushed her into joining band because he was a star baritone player in high school, so, she did to please him. At first she liked it, blah blah, and then it happened...  
  
Name: Elizabeth "Liz" McCurley Age: 13 DOB: March 27, 1989 Parents: mother Jessica, father Edward Siblings: Younger brother William Record: Pretty clean. Just basically brattiness and annoying and smokes. Story: Liz is known to be very sarcastic, bratty and all-around annoying. She lives in a loving environment, and a pretty rich one, which is mainly why no one would expect abuse. But it's in her past. It's something she can barely remember, from when she was seven. So how's Peter or Sophie going to help her when she can't even remember? The bits and pieces she does remember are to painful already, which is why she acts the way she does, so people will think that she's just spoiled.  
  
Name: Victoria "Tori" James Age: 13 DOB: April 2, 1989 Parents: Mother, Danielle, Father Gregory Siblings: Younger brother Jason and older sister Beth. Records: Known for very racist remarks, and has been suspended from school 10 times and expelled once. Once caught with drugs but was let off with a warning. Story: Tori is very racist as her parents are, too. Beth is the only family member she knows not racist, which is why Beth has never been accepted by her family and often was shoved onto the streets. Growing up in this kind of lifestyle and sometimes downright violent, she has became extremely hostile and prejiduce.  
  
**BOYS**  
  
Name: Mark Wilson Shepard [his story is true; it's one of my very good friends. A lot of these stories are similiar to mine/friends as well as previous characters I've made up] Age: 14 DOB: October 28, 1988 Parents: Mother Staci and Father Richard [lives in foster situiation] Siblings: Younger sister Veronica, and younger godbrother Jayme Records: Ran away many times, usually to best friends Kristyn's house. Steals often and skips school on several occasions. Story: Mark's parents were both abusive but it wasn't until his father was put in jail that his mom started. This was when he started running away. In October 2001, the authorities were notified and him and his sister were removed from the home and placed in foster homes. He's usually very sweet but rude and angry to anyone he sees treating girls bad because of the way he saw his dad treat his mom and his sister being treated.  
  
Name: Samuel Kenneth Campbell Age: 13 DOB: January 24, 1989 Parents: Mother Hollie, Father Ian Siblings: Older brother Max, adopted little brother Kaysen, older sister Amber Jade. Records: Acting out in school mainly was his only issue... Story: Sam is your typical average all-American kid. However, his older brother Max excelled at sports and his older sister Amber Jade excelled at...everything. Kaysen was a South Korean orphan when his parents adopted him so that also made him seem inferior. Seems like your average "Even Stevens" family, think again.  
  
  
  
"Day in the lives" coming soon! please review to tell me how the characters sounds so far! 


	2. Katie's Story

In The Best Interest--Chapter Two--"Katie's Story"  
  
Remember I don't own Katie FLAMINGTEEN does! So check out her awesome stories!  
  
Katie ducked in the halls as she avoided the guys who liked to mess around with the girls. It was before connections started at her middle school and the hallways were a mess. She had band next and she was trying to quickly figure a way to avoid it without using the same old stuff, because the teachers had started to figure out why she was never at band.  
  
It wasn't always like this. She didn't always have to hide from people and skip band. At the beginning of middle school, she was your average, meaningless sixth-grader and she liked it like this. Her stepdad, David, insisted she joined band although she had a beautiful voice and would've much rather joined chorus. He had been a star football player, band student, and all-around jock so he insisted that's what his daughter do, too.  
  
Her biological father had died when she was four from a car wreck. A drunk driver had hit him. It wasn't like those miracle stories where they're killed instantly-where no pain is suffered. Her dad had been fine at first, then the surgery that was suppose to make him better killed him. SHe had basically known David all her life, and was happy she did. She loved him more than anything besides her mom. But he was just to demanding.  
  
She usually planned ahead but there had been a parent/teacher conference with her parents and Mr. Marshall-the band teacher about her "destructive behavior" last night so she had no time.  
  
She was way late so no one else was around. She was about to duck into the girls' room that was outside the band room when Mr. Marshall swung the door open and glared at her.  
  
"What'd we talk about yesterday Katie?" he demanded as he grabbed her arm and pushed her into the band rooom. She didn't speak, instead she looked around the band room as twenty pairs of eyes were glued to her. Her friends, Ronnie and Ladarius who also played trumpet, looked worriedly at her. "What'd I SAY?" he yelled.  
  
"To stop skipping." she said quietly, looking at the floor. "That's right. Now, you have detention after class. You know what time," he said, and for a moment his angry eyes got teasing then dimmed again. "No. I-I, uh, can't," Katie stuttered, getting frusterated. "Yes you can. I told your mom I skipped. She just called to see," he said, smirking in satisfaction.  
  
Katie knew there was no way out so she just slumped in her seat without getting her instrument. Mr. Marshall was so happy he didn't even scold her for not being prepared.  
  
**Later that day**  
  
Katie slowly walked to the band room, fearing every moment. She hated him to no end, but knew that if she didn't go her mother and David would make SURe she was there the next day and it would be even longer.  
  
She walked in and looked around hopefully, praying that maybe someone was there. As usual, her prayers weren't answered and Mr. Marshall was typing at his computer. She, quietly as possible, walked to a chair and sat down hoping he wouldn't notice her.  
  
He turned around and grinned at her. "There's my favorite student," he said. Katie eyed him. He was an ugly little fucker, that was for sure. He was pale and wore suits everyday and was really skinny. He always looked un-shaven and his brown hair was shabby and pushed to one side.  
  
"Come here, katie," he demanded. She gripped the edges to the chair and shook her head. "Damnit," he muttered and got up and grabbed her shoulder. He took her to the empty closet in the back of the room. She tried to struggle away from his grasp but he kept a good grip and scanned her body.  
  
"I've been waiting for this, baby," he said, barely above a whisper. She closed her eyes and wished this would all go away. "Please, not today," she begged as she slid down the wall, trying to stall.  
  
"Oh you know that's not gonna work," he said as he bent down, eye-level with her. He grabbed her chin and wiped away her streaming tears. "I hate you!" she cried. "Good, that's nice," he said, not hearing her.  
  
An hour later he was getting back dressed as she sat in the corner, crying. "You know how it goes," he said. He meant, 'DON'T TELL or you die.'  
  
She emerged from the closet and ran home. Her tears weren't stopping even as she entered her house. She saw some bags of hers by the front door and a man talking to her parents. She dropped her bookbag and whiped her eyes.  
  
Her mom and David turned to face her. "WHat's wrong, Kay?" he asked. "Nothing," she answered. "Detention?" her mom demanded. She nodded. "Quit crying about it, it's not like you've never gotten it before," her older brother said, eating an apple. "Shut up, Kevin!" she yelled.  
  
"Honey, you remember that school that we brought up yesterday during the conference with Mr. Marshall?" her mom asked. Katie shrugged. She hadn't been listening, she just remembered that Mr. Marshall had freaked at the idea of his star student leaving. Yeah, right.  
  
"Why?" she asked suspicuously. The man walked to her and she moved away. He stopped, realizing she was scared. "Hi, Katie," he said warmly. She eyed him. "Hi," she answered. "I'm Roger, from a school in the mountains in Canada," he explained. "So?" she asked.  
  
"Honey, we've decided that maybe this place will help you," David explained. She thought of it. She'd be away from Mr. Marshall. "I wouldn't have to be near Mr. Marshall?" she asked in a tiny voice. Roger looked at her parents who rolled their eyes. "There is nothign wrong with him," David snapped, loosing his patience.  
  
"No," her mom answered.  
  
Roger was surprised that she seemed willing to go. After dealing with Scott running off and trying to numerous times and dealing with kids like Kristin at Horizon, he had been ready for a fighting kid.  
  
David and Lynn couldn't go because they had work, which obviously made Katie upset; she didn't want to travel in a car with some strange guy.  
  
"Well we have to pick up two more kids, so we had better get going. I know this may seem strange to you, Katie, but Peter and Sophie, the owners are real nice," Roger explained in the car as Katie said good-bye to her family. "Isn't this a high school?" Katie asked a while into the trip to Pennsylvania, three hours from where Katie was. "Peter is turning some old dorms into a middle school. There was a twelve-year-old girl named Kristin who came in September and a fourteen-year-old named COle who came recently and they're both real young compared to the others, but Cole is high-school and Kristin's band teacher is Peter's best friend so they were let in. After realizing that not only high-school kids need home he decided to open a middle school." Roger explained.  
  
"How very TV movie," Katie mumbled.  
  
**Mmmkay I know that that's not the usual way kids are brought to Horizon but, hey, that's why it's called fiction, right?? Next up, the prejiduce girl..Muahahaha!** 


	3. Liz's Story

In The Best Interest--Liz's Story  
  
Okay I'm redoing Liz's story...Go check out a story called RECURRENT PAST or I'll kill yah!  
  
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Liz slowly walked through the halls of MD Roberts Middle School in Omaha, Nebraska. She had few friends because she rarely talked so there were no people calling out, "Yo, Liz!" like there once had.  
  
She was a lanky, medium-highted girl who would look pretty if she took the time to do her hair or touch-up her face.  
  
There was another strange thing about her, besides the fact that she walked around with her head hung low and her feet trudging across the floor.  
  
She had not spoken a word in three years.  
  
Her dad had left her mother and taken her three other siblings-John, 7, Ray, 16, and Louise, 3, leaving her with her depressed mother.  
  
Liz didn't get it; she always thought she got along best with her dad, but she's the only one he didn't fight custody for?  
  
Her mom hadn't been depressed in a long time, but she was usually mad at Liz for never speaking. She had tried to get boyfriends but Liz just stared at them like she was trying to bore a hole into them-it freaked most people out the way she acted like a zombie.  
  
But while most viewed her as a pathetic freak, the only one who really knew her voice, her fifth-period language arts teacther Mr. Frank, viewed her as a prodigy. She had a beautiful writing style that would capture even the best writer's attention; even at her age. She often stayed after school with him and just wrote. They didn't talk usually, but occasionally she'd tell him what's up with her life.  
  
She slowly walked home, ignoring the blank stares many people gave her from school who just wanted to know a little about the mysterious kid.  
  
She got home and was met by her mom and one of her new boyfriends-one of the few that she'd actually liked.  
  
Behind them was two of her bags. She looked blankly at them.  
  
"Honey, humor me. Sya something!" her mom begged. Liz opened her mouth as if she were gonna start screaming, studied her mom and Zack's hopefully faces and muttered a, "something."  
  
Her mom threw her hands up in exasperation and hugged Liz tightly. "Baby, what'd I ever do to you? Just tell me, please! I need to know so I can fix it!" she begged.  
  
"You didn't do anything, mom," she spoke quietly. She felt bad for making her mom upset, but she didn't have the nerve to start talking. "We know, kid, it's just we want the best for you," Zack started reluctantly.  
  
"We're sending you to a school in Canada, Lizzy," Zack continued, "we think it will really help you. It's in the mountains-it's beautiful."  
  
"We're flying." her mom answered her unanswered question. "And Peter Scarbrow and one of the kids will be meeting us at the airport. We'll get there before most people so he can be there. Kristin or Cole or Scott or something," Zack finished. 


	4. A Tori Story

In The Best Interest--"Tori's Story"  
  
Okay somethings mentioed in this chapter are racist and are NOT MY BELIEFS. I am not one bit prejiduce so don't accuse me of it cuz I wil chew you out. Muarar. Tori is already boring me. Hopefully I can think of stuff to do with her or she's getting killed off or leaving in the story. Give me ideas people!  
  
~**!!~  
  
Tori walked through the halls in her catholic school. It was an all-white school; as far as she knew. Well, before an African-American girl named Tanya walked up to her. "Hello. My name's Tanya, what's yours? I'm new here..Could you tell me what room Mr. Smith is in?" she asked nicely.  
  
Tori glared at her. "Listen, Nigger, no I don't know where Mr. SMith is," she snarled. Tanya stared at her in shock. "What'd I do to you?" she exclaimed. "You dirtied our once-beautiful country," Tori rattled off, repeating words she had heard her dad say many times. Tanya wasn't angry like most would've been; instead she looked very upset and on the verge of tears. Tori's face; however; remained stony and cold.  
  
Without saying another word, Tanya turned and walked off and Tori continued to her classes.  
  
Later that day Tori and a boy named Ladarius Mobley got in a fight. Tori smirked the whole way down to hte principal's office but instead of seeing her "gold ol' friend" Dr. Thomas she was met by a bulky, African-American man with two sullen-looking girls. "Liz, Katie, wait outside the office. There are officers at the door so don't try anything," Roger warned.  
  
Liz made a face but Katie just walked on. They were both tired from travelling so much, now they were in a completely different timezone near the school so those kids were still in school while they had long-ago gotten out.  
  
Tori's parents were also there. "Honey, with your-behavior record-the school has recommended either you go to juvi or a school called Mount Horizon...And I think, for obvious reasons," her dad started, eyeing Ladarius, "that you be sent to Horizon."  
  
Tori's face fell. "W-with HIM?! Why can't I go with YOU guys?" she demanded, glaring at Roger who seemed unfazed. "Because we have work and have to take care of Jason," her mom answered icily.  
  
She noticed they already had her bags. "This is a joke, right?!" she exclaimed. "So I get into a fight with a nigger-and this is what happens?" she yelled. "Listen, TORI, 'nigger' is not a word you need to be using," both Roger and Dr. Thomas interupted angrily.  
  
"It's a joke..right?" she asked again.  
  
**OK again I'm bored with her character. Yes, already, so sue me! lol plus I don't feel right saying all those things as my brother is mixed. Well I gotta go so bye!** 


	5. Mark's Story

In The Best Interest--Mark's Story-- Okay I think Sarah/The Duck makes a good point...I'm going ot re-do Liz's story after I get done with 2 characters left. I don't really have anything for the story that was up now...So thanks Sarah! Expect that tomorrow and maybe even later today. Everything in this chapter is true because it happened to one of my best friends. The whole leaving and meeting again-true. Everything is. Also when I put Oct. 2001 in the "about" chapter I meant 2000.  
  
**October, 2000**  
  
Kristyn got off the bus with one of her best friends, Mark Sheppard, following. Mark was ayear and a half older than her and much taller-he had failed a grade. He protected her from everything, but today was the day Kristyn was moving. They silently walked down the big hill at their apartments and Kristyn cringed angrily when she saw her parent's van waiting. Her other siblings and pets were already at the new house.  
  
She pulled him in a tight hug. "Promise you won't forget me?" she asked, struggling back her tears. He nodded. "Never."  
  
**October, 2001**  
  
Kristyn laughed as her friends Adam and Ronnie threw food at eachother, carefully making sure no teachers saw. SHe was in the seventh grade now and hadn't seen Mark in a year, but there wasn't a day that went back that she didn't think of him. The special ed. class walked by them to go the lunchline-nothing unusual. But then she saw him and it made her heart skip a beat. Ronnie looked behind him. "What're you looking at?" Adam asked. "Um..Nothing," she lied.  
  
In band later that day Kristyn hurriedly ran to there, even though she knew she'd most likely get in trouble there like she did everyday. She saw Mark talkin to her friend, Ashley although she hated her now. "Mark?" she asked. Mark turned around. "Oh, hi," he siad and turned back. Her heart sank and she sat down without getting her intrument.  
  
Two weeks later they had become friends again-it had taken some readjustment, because he was use to the idea of never seeing her again.  
  
**Mark's POV**  
  
I made faces as my foster parents carried on and on about how I was grounded. "Yeah, that's real nice," I snapped and walked to the porch. I saw their puppy, Butch, and stepped off the porch to get him.  
  
Jack grabbed me and jerked me back. "Fuck it, Mark, you're grounded for a month and then you're out of here!" he snapped. I glared at him. "I don't give a flying fuck now let go of me!" I yelled and ran to my room. Jack and my foster mother, Janie, never hit me or anything, but I remembered my mom and dad's abuse so clearly that I was deathly afraid that they would start.  
  
That night I ranaway. I didn't know to where; I didn't know where Kristyn lived so I coulnd't run to her house, and although Ashley was my girlfriend at the time, I knew that Kristyn was three times more important to me than Ashley would ever be.  
  
I went to find my sister, I think. I didn't get to far. Living in Jonesboro, Georgia and running is very difficult. Why, I don't know. But after two days I was found.  
  
The police officers grabbed me and tackled me to the ground. I tried running but one weighed a ton so I quit. I looked up after hearing my name yelled and saw my social worker Eddie. Tears streamed down my face.  
  
Later that day, I sat in Eddie's face. Jack and Jane didn't want me anymore-"I was too much." so I was being put in a rainbow house. Or so I thought.  
  
Eddie threw me a brochure. Some school surrounded by woods and mountains in the backround was on the front. "What the hell is this?" I demanded. "Watch your mouth, Mark, and that's where you're going." Eddie scolded.  
  
"Yeah, suuuure I am Eddie," I siad, nodding sarcastically. "Mark Sheppard, I'm not in hte mood for your games. I already have your bags. Now get in the car," Eddie yelled. Somebody's PMS'ing.  
  
WE got out there and I tried to get away but he grabbed my collar. "It's here, juvenille hall, or another home, Mark," he warned. "I don't see why I have to do this. T hey fucking grounded me for stepping off the porch! What'd you expect me to do?" I demanded angrily later in the car.  
  
"Call me, Mark. That's all you had to do. Now there is no discussion about this. I know the owner, Peter Scarbrow. He's real nice, don't give him a bad time."  
  
"I"m not going!" Mark yelled as they drove off.  
  
**That mighta been boring but i promise the actual story is going to be much, much better than thes ehvae been. 


	6. Samuel's Story

In The Best Interest--sam's Story--  
  
Pwease review and read HGmonkey017's story RECURRENT PAST! It's kicks some major ass!  
  
__________________  
  
Samuel Campbell sat in the back of his eighth grade, seventh period math class. Old Ms. Burke, as everyone called her, was teaching a lesson on some number thingy. [Hey, I don't pay attention in math either!]  
  
Sam threw a spit ball and snickered as it hit the back of Kacee Ledingham's neck. "Oh, sick! Ms. Burke someone threw a spit ball!" she cried, grabbing it and flinging to the floor. Everyone burst out laughing, except Kacee. "Hey, look at it this way, Kace, at least SOMETHING is attracted to you!" Sam called, exchanging high-fives with his best friend, and fellow nusiance, Jayme Essay.  
  
"Samuel Campbell!" Ms. Burke barked. "Yes, m'am?" he asked innocently. "Why can't you be more like your big brother? Set an example for your fellow students, like he did!" she said firmly.  
  
Sam turned cross at the sound of 'big brother'. He was constantly in the shadow of his big brother, Maxwell L. Campbell and Amber Jade Campbell. Just their names sounded better than...Sam. He was so different from his family that he often wondered.  
  
His parents, Max and Amber Jade all had dark brown curls and tanned faces with darn, chocalate brown eyes. Sam had white-blonde, straight blonde hair, blue eyes and pale skin. His adopted brother, Kaysen, looked more like his family than he did, and Kaysen was from Seoul. Seoul, South Korea.  
  
Max wasn't always to smart in acedemics, but his "incredible charissma", to quote the many trophies and awards he had, always made up for this, and the fact that he was a hall of fame super star. Max was now in tenth grade, two years older than Sam, and still Sam lived in the shadow of him.  
  
Amber Jade is a senior, a straight-A student, Color Guard, first-chair flute player. Kaysen was a four-year-old, cute as can be sweetie pie.  
  
What sucked even more was than both Amber and Max had incredibly strong voices, their teachers often labeling them the next pop stars. Sam labeled them the biggest pains in the world.  
  
And then, there was Sam. Sam's best sport was probably thumb wrestling. He was good at surfing, though. But this didn't help, considered they lived in Canada at a place where the average temperature was 65 degrees. In the Summer. He also did not have a talented bone in his body, singing- wise. His voice cracked with the low notes and he couldn't get out high notes if his life depended on it.  
  
There was something about the way his dad eyed him that made him feel funny. He felt secluded from his family; and to take away the knowledge and pain of this he often drank. Not enough to get drunk, but enough to where it was...dangerous, especially for a thirteen-year-old.  
  
He'd never seen a baby picture before his second year. That bothered him, even Kaysen had pictures from his very first day. Sam's baby years seemed non-existent.  
  
But none of that bothered him more than being compared to Max, AMber Jade and Kaysen all the time.  
  
Sam walked home that afternoon alone. Jayme had detention; usually the two boys had it together, but Sam had to get home for some vacation thing.  
  
It took two hours to getthere, but instead of coming to an amusement park, Sam's dad drove up into a wooded area with mountains in the distance, and a school was in front of them.  
  
"Uh, dad?" Sam asked curiously. "Daddy!" Kaysen yelped as he saw the "pwetty bountains".  
  
"Sam, remember how I said if you don't get your act together?" his dad said innocently, watching in the rearview mirror for Sam's reaction.  
  
  
  
**Okay next chapter is them arriving. Well I guess Sam's already here but whatever;-). I don't think Tori will be here very long. Sam is my favorite character. I'm gonna be re-doing Liz's story either tonight or tomorrow** 


	7. Feeling Awkward

In The Best Interest--"Feeling Awkward"  
  
Okay I'm not gonna go through the whole "arriving' thing because I don't really have anything for it. Oh yeah, this isn't my main story, I'll update when I get a chance and if I have ideas. It's not gonna be like w/ SOM when I update with bull because I don't have any ideas. Read "RECURRENT PAST", "NEWCOMER", "BRINGER OF THE FUTURES" and "SAFETY SHATTERED" or they'll be hell to pay!!!!! ANYWAY thanks to Cole for the idea of this page!  
  
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Scott was finishing up his homework when Peter walked up. "Hey, Scott," Peter greeted him. "Hi," Scott answered and scribbled down an answer. "Need any help?" "Nope." "Okay...Do you know where Cole and kristin are?" "Yep." "Can you find them and tell them to go the den, I need to talk to them about the new middle school." he said and walked off.  
  
Scott closed his book and ran off the find Cole and Kristin. Kristin was reading a book for Enlish and Cole was listening to music. He noticed Scott and pulled his headphones off. "What's up?" he asked. "Your life must be really boring, if you're actually reading what the teach gives you," Scott said to Kristin. "Well," she started, obviously in a bad mood, "when you're the only one who hasn't reached puberty yet or hasn't gotten into high school, you're pretty much an outsider."  
  
"Uh, right, TMI, by the way," he said then finished, "Peter wants to see you guys. It's something about the new kids, I guess," Scott reported. "Okay. Thanks." Cole answered as Scott walked out. Kristin kept reading. "Come on," he said.  
  
"Why? I'm probably in trouble...Just give me the sentance and I'll serve it," she answered sarcastically but stood up. "What's up with you?" Cole asked. "Nothin, okay? I just don't see why we gotta get a middle school at this place. We shoulda gotten it sooner or something, then me and you would've been the outsiders." she answered. "That makes sense, but..." Cole sid but couldn't finish it so he shut up.  
  
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"Who're they?" Mark asked, pointing to a tall boy and a short girl who had just walked in. Cole and Kristin walked over to Peter. "I haven't done anything in a long time, so, whatever is was it was probably David." Kristin said in a tired tone.  
  
Peter eyed her suspiciously. "Riiight. Anyway, since you guys are young I just wanted to give you the oppertunity to sit in with these guys, to see if maybe you think you'll fit better with them, since their younger. Kristin, I know you're feeling kind of awkward." he siad in a low voice so the other kids wouldn't hear. "I'm not feeling awkward they're just a little older." she said simply.  
  
"Well, just sit on this group." 


	8. group 'n stuff

In The Best Interest--"Groups 'N Stuff"  
  
**PWWWWWWEASE review! lol I'm desperate!**  
  
Cole and Kristin reluctantly sat down. "Okay, not everyone has met everyone yet-" Peter started but Sam interupted. "Gee, state the obvious! We haven't been to the dorms, yet!"  
  
He grinned, expecting the reaction he got form his classmates, which was roars of laughter, but his grin faded as he noticed that no one was laughing. In fact, they all had faces of stone except Kristin who had a smirk.  
  
"Samuel...We're not disrespectful here. You can speak your mind, but don't be rude." Peter scolded. "Sorry." Sam mumbled and figeted with his hands.  
  
"Okay, I'm gonna call out your name and you say something about yourself. And I mean, besides your age." Peter said. Tori sucked her teeth and rolled her eyes. "Oh this is just gee-wolly fun!" she said sarcastically.  
  
"I'm glad you think so, Tori! Since you think so highly of it, you may start!" Sophie said. "Gee, thanks for the privlage. Anyway my name is Tori. And..I go to a PRIVATE school," she said with a smile, as to make them feel inferior. Sam sat for a second and then pre-tend laughed. "Oh, we were suppose to care!" he said and stopped and shook his head. SHe glared at him.  
  
"Okay, that's enough! Sam, go." Peter said. "Well, obviously, unless you're completely out-of-it, I'm Sam. I have the perfect life, you see, a perfect big brother, and perfect big sister, and even an adopted brother who can't speak a lick of English yet. I have a gee-wilickers good time at my wonderful home that is so very pleasent. Now why would I be here?" he asked innocently, putting a finger to his chin as if to think.  
  
"Um, why don't you try being for real?" Sophie asked sarcastically. "Fine fine, take all the fun! My name is Sam and my little adopted brother can speak English. In fact, according to my dad, he can probably do better in English than I am right now. Happy?" he asked. Sophie just nodded, "That's fine Sam. How about...Mark?"  
  
Sam reluctantly sat down, and Mark reluctantly stood up. "Umm...My name is Mark. I live in foster care and..." he couldn't think of anything else so he just shrugged and sat down. "Thank-you, Mark. Liz?"  
  
Liz stood up with her head at the floor and didn't say anything. "I think she's mute, Peter," Tori scoffed. "Shut up, Tori," Mark defended Liz. "I'm Liz." she said, barely above a whisper and sat down.  
  
Peter was debating on whether or not to make her say anything else but decided against it. "Katie?"  
  
Katie stood up. "I'm Katie and I'm a disturbed youth who gets a kick out of killing band teachers." she said in mono-tone and sat down just as quickly as she had popped up.  
  
Even Sam's eyes widened. "Uhh...Riiight!" he said and swallowed.  
  
"That was very..Nice, guys." Peter said. "Wait outside for a second." he said and they all filed out.  
  
Kristin and Cole went to follow but Peter stopped them. "I want you guys to hang around them for today. Just get to know them, let htem look around." he instructed. "But, Peter-" They both protested but he shook his head. "I don't want any excuses." 


	9. Trouble

In The Best Interest--"Trouble"  
  
**Please review**  
  
Kristin and Cole glumly walked out. "This really sucks!" She declared. Cole only grunted in reply. "What sucks?" Sam asked as they walked to them. "Nothing. Let's just get to the dorms so we can leave." Cole said. "You know what Peter said," Kristin said as they walked to the new middle- school dorms. "Sure I do. That doesn't mean it stayed in my brain." Kristin just snickered. "Shutup." Cole mumbled.  
  
"This," Cole started, pointing to a newly-redesigned cabin, "is the boys dorm." "And this is the girls dorm." Kristin said.  
  
"Gee, you guys are wonderful hosts!" Tori said sarcastically. "Thanks," Kristin said back. She walked inside with the girls. "You all can pick a bed, I guess." she said. "No, really?" Katie suggested in a mocking voice.  
  
Kristin glared at her. "Well, see ya," she mumbled and walked out, leaving them to themselves. Cole did the same thing. They grinned and ran back to where teh Cliffhangers were all walking together.  
  
"Where'd you'll go?" Shelby asked, raising her eyebrows. "Nowhere...Ew!" They yelled when they realized what she was thinking.  
  
They were all walking around for awhile, mostly jokes aimed at Ezra or small quarrels between David and Scott. Kristin and Cole were about to get into an argument about school when they felt a hand slap on each of their shoulders.  
  
"Heh...heh..." Kristin said nervously and turned around, as did Cole, very slowly. "What's up, Peter, Sophie?" Scott asked as Peter and Sophie stared at Cole and Kristin. "Ya know, it's amazing how you are suppose to be with the new kids," Peter said.  
  
"really? i don't find that amazing, actually!" Kristin said. Peter rolled his eyes and pulled them to his office.  
  
They plopped down in the chairs as Sophie and Peter sat down across from them. "What'd I tell you?" Peter asked. "To show them to the dorms. Which we DID." Kristin pointed out. "What else?" Sophie asked. When no one answered she spoke up, "to please hang around them. Get to know them. Get them use to Horizon."  
  
"Well we did 1/2," Cole said bitterly. "Do you do 1/2 of everything? Wait, I guess I shouldn't ask. According to your grades and teacher reports, you do," Peter said. "Ouch." Kristin mumbled.  
  
"Is the work to hard? What?" He asked. "No," They both answered. "For punishment-" Sophie started. "Aww, no more shuns please! I think we've cleaned the kitchen pots more than anyone here combined!" Kristin begged. "That's not what we were thinking, but if you keep pressing your luck it's possible. For at least a week, and depending on your behavior it might be longer, I want you to be apart of the middle school-Cliffhangers. School, dorms, groups, everything." Sophie explained.  
  
"That's not fair we don't even know them!" Cole protested. "Maybe if you had listened, you would!" "Maybe if you had listened, you would..." kristin mocked as she walked out the door with Cole following. "What was that?" Peter called. "NOTHING!" 


	10. Genius

In The Best Interest--"Fighting 'N..Stuff"  
  
**I promise, Bunnies, this'll be much more interesting than SOM...Mainly cuz I don't have a stopping point and it'll either be 10 chapters or 1000...Haha and it'll be more plot and concentrate on all the characters..And some of the characters have a lot that I haven't told:) Please Review [I reviewed yours!!!!]**  
  
Cole had all his stuff and was about to walk to the new dorms when Scott stopped him. "What's happening, man? You goin' home?" he asked. "No way. Me and Kristin, as punishment, have to be over there for at least a week." Cole explained bitterly. "Man that sucks. Even for classes?" "Yeah. And he's thinking about us either staying there full-time or at least have classes tere, where we might get a better education around kids our age..I guess cuz our grades are way lower than they usually are."  
  
Cole made his way to the dorms where Mark and Sam were just staring into space. "God this place is a major bore," Sam whined. "Get use to it, pal. And it's only a major bore cuz you don't know anything about it. There's stuff to do, just get off your ass and look around," he snapped as he slung his stuff as far away from them as possible.  
  
"What's up with you?" Mark asked. "I didn't mean to snap-me and Kristin just have to stay here cuz we didn't hang out with you guys," cole explained. "That sucks. Is that guy Peter mean or something?" Mark asked.  
  
"No. Just...Me and Kristin are real young to be here and I guess he looks after us a lot. Plus, our grades have been slipping so he's been stricter."  
  
"This school is so gay," Sam said defiantly. "Maybe you're the gay one," Cole defended Peter and the staff. "Say that to my face!" Sam challenged. Cole stood up and got in Sam's face. "Maybe YOU ARE the gay one!"  
  
Sam shoved Cole. "Man, don't mess with me, Sam. Believe me." Cole warned and turned around. "I'm not gonna be a good little mama's boy like Max!" Sam yelled and tackled Cole to the ground. "Who is Max?" Cole asked, he didn't think Sam was really angry so he just sat there. "Fuck you!" Sam screamed and punched Cole in the stomach. He was shocked for a minute, but then returned the favor as he laid one across Sam's jaw that sent Sam sprawled on the floor.  
  
Peter walked in to see how things were going when he noticed Mark trying to get them off eachother while Cole did most of the punching. Cole saw Peter and jumped up. Sam stood there, wiping the blood off his nose with the end of his sweat shirt. Peter glared at Cole as if to say, "already?!"  
  
Cole just shrugged. "My office now. Cole, I believe you know the way." 


	11. Sentence

In The Best Interest  
  
*Okay sometime soon, meaning this chapter or the next or the next [probably the 3rd next one, lol] Tori is gone. Becuase I don't want to offend anyone and I don't feel right writing all that terrible stuff.**  
  
**Girls dorm**  
  
Kristin sat on her new bed, staring at the ceilin g when Katie walked over. "So what's there to dohere?" she asked. "Stuff." Kristin answered miserably. Katie nodded. "Riight. So how old are you?" she asked. "I'll be thirteen in a few weeks. You?" "Gosh, you're young to be here. I'm fourteen." Katie answered.  
  
"Cole is, too."  
  
"Cole?"  
  
"That boy that was next to me in group."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Right."  
  
________________  
  
"One day and already in a fight?" Peter asked, although he was more calm than he usually was. Sam shrugged. "And Cole," he said, turning to Cole, he fumed silently in the chair he seemed to be spending most of his time in lately, "what happened?"  
  
"I was just defending Horizon, Peter. That's all. Nothin' else." Cole said simply. "Fine. I'm going to let you off easy; with a warning. But only because this is Sam's first day and I have to much to be dealing with than to wonder if you to are killing eachother. Kapeesh?" Peter warned. "Ditto." Cole mumbled and walked out.  
  
Sam stayed behind. "I'm sorry, Peter. I'll try better, for real," he said, smiling innocently. Peter didn't know whether or not to trust him but just nodded. "Thank-you Sam for apologizing. Now, you have dinner in a few and hten light's out. School starts tomorrow and I bet you don't want to miss THAT, now do you?" Peter asked.  
  
Sam cringed, "of course not. Do you get ISS here? Or OSS? Or what?" he asked, again, asking innocently.  
  
Peter smiled. "Kitchens. Solo hikes. Reports to parents. Wood-chopping. Cooking. Journals." he listed. Sam frowned. "Well. I have a lot of look forward to, don't I?" 


	12. School Dayz

In The Best Interest--"SChool Dayz"  
  
**Please review. Sorry I haven't been updating as much...School is very hectic right now. I was doing homework from 4-8:30 today [September 26] a science fair project that is due in November but the research is due tomorrow. I had left all my research in my locker, so I had to look up more and all of it was from encyclopedia.com cuz no other sites had any info on boats. Hopefully, I'll start updating more. Check out my novel "nightmare in the park" about a kidnapped boy!**  
  
It was eight the next morning when Sophie woke the girls and Peter the boys. Peter was going to be the teacher, at least for the timebeing. Maybe the entire time, who knew?  
  
The kids trudged into the schoolroom at 9 after breakfast and getting ready. They all had the 1 1/2 inch binders that Peter had assigned the night before. Peter sat at his desk.  
  
Kristin and cole looked around, soaking in their new surroundings. Instead of the desks pushed together that the Cliffhanger's had, they had old desks that connected the chair to the desk. Kristin reconized them from her old school, and she had hated them so bad because she had to lean against the hard back and herbruises would seem to explode in pain.  
  
The desks weren't far away from eachother, but not close enough to where one could easily lean over and cheat or talk. "Row A, from first to last, Tori, Katie, Kristin and Mark. Row C, Cole, Liz and Sam. There will more likely be more kids coming soon, so that's why you're spread apart and there are so many desks," Peter answered their unasked questions.  
  
They all quietly took their seats. No one had really gotten to be friends, except Cole and Mark and Kristin and Katie. "Okay, first I'm going to lay down the rules. This'll be like your school. No talking out, no disrespect, and, unless we're having a class discussion which we'll have many times, I expect you to please raise your hands. There aren't many rules, so I expect you to please abide by them. Any questions?" Peter asked, looking around the room.  
  
Sam smirked and raised his hand. "Sam?" Peter asked reluctantly. "Do we get naptime?" he asked, pretending to be earnest. Peter examined his face, as Sam kept a straight face. "No, Sam." he answered at last. Sam grinned and nodded. "Thank ya."  
  
"About the binders, there are four subjects that we will study. Mathematics, history, language arts, and science. I understand some of you are on different levels, and when I analyze you're scores on tests and grades, I'll decide groups that we'll teach in. Understood?"  
  
They all nodded. "Okay, can you please open your binder?" Peter asked. Everyone took out the binder and opened it. Sam looked around and noticed he was the only one with a yellow one. "Peter, I don't find this very fair. I mean, look, everyone else has black or blue. And I got yellow?! Something's wrong..." Sam whined.  
  
Peter rolled his eyes. "Sam, it doesn't matter the color." "Uh-huh."  
  
"If it matters so much then color it blue," Peter said and handed Sam a blue sharpie. Sam's face fell; he was use to his whining annoying his teachers so much that they eventually give in.  
  
Sam's face grew red in embarassment as the other kids snickered and he scribbled "Sam Campbell" on the cover and then "rana, rana, rana, rana, codeine" just for effects.  
  
Thefirst class was language arts. "You'd usually read a novel in reading, but here since we don't have that class, we'll be reading "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding." Peter said as he handed out books. Mark grew nervous as his face turned a deep shade of red as he stared at the book in his hands.  
  
"Turn to page one and read please, Mark," Peter asked. "Uh, um...T-the boy stumbled off the vyegorous rocks..." Mark mumbled [Okay I'm not sure if that's how the beginning us but I don't have it in front of me, I read it last year in my reading class]. Sam stiffled a laugh as Peter gave him a sharp look. "We don't laugh at people, Sam," he snapped. Sam just snickered but stopped laughing.  
  
Mark swallowed. "It's vigorous, Mark," Peter said gently. Mark nodded and continued. "He n-notyc-" Mark just looked at the page. Peter understood completely what was happening; Mark could barely read. 


	13. Mark's Problem

In The Best Interest--"Mark's Problem"  
  
They continued with the school day until Peter dismissed them, but asked Mark to stay back. "Mark? What happened when you were reading?" he asked. Mark's face turned red. "I, uh, don't know..Iguess I don't have that high of a reading level," he answered.  
  
"This book doesn't have to many big words, Mark. I'll talk to you more this afternoon after I get some time to look over your transcripts." Peter said, looking for his reaction. Mark just half-smiled. "Okay. Um, can I go?" Peter nodded.  
  
Kristin was waiting for Mark. "Oh, hey," Mark said when he saw her. She smiled. "Hi, Mark."   
  
"So, uh, what's up?" Kristin asked. "Nothing. I guess." He answered, his voice a whisper. "Oh. Um, what happened in language arts today? I mean, when you were reading?" she asked, hoping she didn't sound nosy. He turned red. "I, um, uh, n-nothing. I mean, I guess i can tell you...I can't read very well. Or write. I never learned well. I was kept back, but you can only get kept back so many times, and my dad...Well, he just never let me study really. Or take any special classes. So, I never learned real well." he answered.  
  
She nodded in understandment. "It's okay. It's nothing to be embarassed about. Auggie, one of hte older Cliffhangers, has dyslexia." She explained. He shook his head. "You don't understand, okay? You're smart. I saw you in class. You could actually participate knowingly. Auggie or whoever has a reason-dyslexia is a disease. I'm just plain stupid." he said angrily.  
  
"You're not STUPID, Mark. Just let me help you. Please?" she asked. he sighed. "I don't know. Peter wants to talk to me about it later. I'll get back to you then." 


	14. Solving Mark

In The Best Interest--"Solving Mark/Newbies"  
  
**Pwease Review**  
  
Mark slowly walked to Peter's office. He walked in as Scott walked out with Shelby, both smiling at eachother. Peter looked up as Mark hesitantly knocked on the door. "Oh, hey, Mark. Come in," he instructed. Mark sat down.  
  
"Mark, I'm looking at your records-" Peter said, showing him the file but Mark interupted, "I know I'm stupid, Peter, so let's just leave it at that. Kristin offered to help me. If I want to enough I will, okay?" he reasoned.  
  
Peter was surpried that Kristin had offered but quickly changed to what he said last. "If you WANT to, Mark? You should want to read. It's entertaining, you learn-"  
  
"Listen I learn enough on the streets. I learned enough taking care of Veronica. I don't need no books to help me, okay? I said I would. Can I go?"  
  
"Only if you promise."  
  
"I don't promise."  
  
Peter studied Mark. He was puzzled. At first, Mark had been this sweet, silent kid and now he was getting angry just at the thought of learning. "Okay. You can go."  
  
Mark gave him a grateful look and walked out as Sophie walked in. "Did you get through to him?" she asked in an exasperated tone. Peter shook his head. "He's anti-reading or something. WHat's wrong?" he asked, noticing the extreme tiredsome in her voice.  
  
"THree newbies. All tomorrow." she said miserably. "Are you kidding?!" he exclaimed. She shook her head. "At least Tori is gone. Her parents are extremely racist, and by the way she acted she was, too. I don't know how well that would've gone through. Who are the newbies?"  
  
"Two boys-Riley Thomas and Benjamin Wassimo. Riley is very distraught about coming...Something about his mother, leaving her, I think. His dad left awhile ago and he's been taking care of her, but the strange thing is she doesn't have any chronic illness or anything...I guess they'll explain it better when he comes tomorrow. Benji is, well...I think we're going to have a time with him," she said with a secretive smile.  
  
"Um, okay." he said in a confused tone. "THe kids aren't going to accept him. They don't accept his 'type', so to speak, in their own world. And the girl, Alison Matthews...I don't really know anything about her, except she lives with her father and stepmom." 


	15. Newbies

In The Best Interest--"Newbies"  
  
**Okay here's the deal...Five reviews, please?! I don't think that's asking for a lot! I update a lot, don't I?? Can more than two or three people review?! PLEASE?! lol I'm grateful for those of you who do:) If you review my story..I'll review your's..As long as you're logged in [And I WILL read it, not just skim thru it and put cool!]**  
  
They were at an emergency group that Sophie had called as soon as class had gotten out. "Guys, we're getting three new kids..." she said and Cole interupted. "Newbies!" he said, really saying "Fresh meat!"  
  
Sophie gave him a Look. "No, Cole. Now, even though you'll are pretty new, you have been together from hte beginning, some more than others. I don't want you treating them any differently. Understand?" she warned.  
  
They all nodded and filed out. Sophie walked out and saw Peter with the three kids. Riley had dark brown hair and was looking at Peter with a goofy grin. He remined Sophie of Adam (A/n: Riley is based on Adam in real-life, not the fictional abuse part from SOM). His hazel eyes had bags under them, but he was still real "chirpy" looking.  
  
Benji was wearing a tight t-shirt that had cut-off sleeves and shorts that came about an inch above his knee. SOphie knew what Benji's probation officer had meant when he said '..out of the ordinary' now..He was gay. She wondered how the kids would accept him.  
  
Alison was behind them, dressed in black clothes and looking around the place. she was extremely pale and skinny, which was already worrying Sophie as she neared the four.  
  
"Oh, guys, this is Sophie. She will be one of your counselors, or your only until the new one comes." Peter explained.  
  
Riley was the only one who spoke up. "Hi, I'm Riley." he introduced himself. 'Gosh, he's just like Adam!' Sophie thought, even down to his voice. Benji just smiled and Alison raised an eyebrow at her. 


	16. Character Reviews

In The Best Interest-"Character Reviews"  
  
**Okay here's a review of all the new characters, and no more are going to come unless I get bored. Sorry ir was confusing! After this story I'm gonna do Denial cuz I'm bored with these types but I don't just wanna stop it. I have a few ideas but I don't think it'll be as long as I thought**  
  
-MARK SHEPPARD is fourteen-year-olds, and nearly illiterate. He lived in foster care because his parents both abused he and his sister, Veronica, and was sent to Horizon after running away for the third time from his home.  
  
-SAMUEL CAMBELL is thirteen-years-old and is a "funny-man". He comes from a family of superiors, but he's the talentless outsider, even his adopted brother from Korea seems to be superior compared to him. But he's about to find something out that's going to rock his world...  
  
-ELIZABETH MCCURLEY is thirteen-years-old and hasn't talked since her dad left her and her mom with her siblings. SHe lives with her mom and her mom's boyfriend, Zack. The only way she takes the pain away from being to scared to speak or to angry because her dad left is to write, and she does it beautifully.  
  
-KATIE MATHIS is fourteen-years-old and has been molested by her band teacher for three years, since sixth grade. She is usually pretty nice, but sometimes gets angsty and bitter, and she's usually ready for a fight if she sees someone that she thinks she can't learn to trust.  
  
-TORI JAMES is a thirteen-year-old that just left because I was sick of her, lol. SHe was prejiduce, that's why I got rid of her.  
  
-RILEY THOMAS is thirteen-years-old and while he's "too adorable" and "hilarious", his home life has beena wreck since his dad moved away and left him taking care of his depressive and sometimes verbally abusive mother. He was sent to Horizon after his school called DEFAX from his mother never coming to pick him up for the third time in a row. He is on probation (along with a friend) for having a BB gun and supposebly shootuing it at a neighbor.  
  
-BENJIMAN "BENJI" WASSIMO is a gay fourteen-year-old boy. He lives with his anti-gay/homophobic father who sometimes verbally and physically harasses him about it, along with the kids at aschool. He was sent to Horizon because he brought a knife to school and attempted to shoot two of his tormentors.  
  
-ALISON MATTHEWS is a fourteen-year-old girl who recently had a baby that her dad and stepmom agreed to keep. Her mom left after she found out her dad was having an affair with her now-stepmom, leaving Alison. Her stepmom puts a lot of pressure on Alison to get back her figure so she'll match her older sister, Alexis, seventeen. She's not technically anorexic or bulimic, but there are times when her stepmom will continually starve her. Her baby boy, Roger, is a result of a one-night stand.  
  
  
  
**Did that help?? Hopefully;-) If it didn't tell me...And, if you want, I'll do days-in-the-lives of Riley(Whom I'm really interested to do), Benji and Alison.** 


	17. Benji Has A Crush

In The Best Interest--"Benji has a Crush"  
  
**Aww I had this chapter all typed up, went to upload it, uploaded the wrong chapter, and deleted it. LOL.**  
  
Peter and Sophieg ot the three checked in and checked and went to the den where the others had already filed in. "Introduce yourselves," Sophie instructed.  
  
ALison rolled her eyes, Riley grinned and Benji stared at Sam.  
  
"My name is Alison Matthews. I'm fourteen-years-old and I love with my stepmom, dad, older sister and...Son." she said, swallowing at the reaction. But no one seemed to hear her, as Katie pumped her fist in the air. "FINALLY! Someone who is fourteen. Thank-you Peter and Soph!" she said triumphantly.  
  
Alison raised an eyebrow at her. "Riiight." Then she sat down and mumbled "FREAK." Peter spoke up, "Katie, please try to restrain yourself...At least for the moment. Okay?" he asked. "Yup." Katie answered.  
  
Riley stepped forward, his grin growing. "Hi-hi! My name is Riley, and I'm thirteen-years-old. I love with my mother, my dog Zeus, sometimes one of my sisters Melissa, and my goldfish, Squeeze. I use to have a hamster, but my little cousin 'lost him'. Personally, I think he let his dog eat it. I'm in the seventh grade at-" Riley started but Sophie intervened.  
  
"Uh, thank-you, Riley. That'll be enough for now. Save your energy for later." she said. Riley nodded. "Right-o. Surely do." and jumped down.  
  
Peter sighed. What a hyper one, he thought.  
  
Benji stepped forward. He was more self-confident then you would think...with his "secret" and all.  
  
"Hullo. My name is Benji Wassimo. I come from Dallas, Texas." he said and winked at Sam.  
  
"Uh, Peter, I think Benji is harassing me," Sam spoke up immidiately. Mark said, "You probably don't even know what that means!"  
  
"At least I can READ!" Sam snapped. "Campbell, you better watch out!" Mark said menacingly.  
  
"Both of you QUIT." Peter exclaimed.  
  
Cole was amused.  
  
Alison was bored.  
  
Riley was hopping up and down.  
  
Benji winked.  
  
**Hopefully that was a teeny humour..Please Review!** 


	18. Riley's Journal

In The Best Interest--"Riley's Journal"  
  
**OK this chapter is going to be different than any of my others, it's going to be only a journal entry from Riley, or more like a few because he's my favorite character, and it's not just cuz he's based on my firend Adam either, darnit! Anyway if you want a day in our lives of the three new characters then remeber to tell me!**  
  
DECEMBER 25, 2001, 5:25 PM  
  
I'm sitting here in my room, alone. My mom is on the couch. SHe just took her medicine, whatever she's taking now. She fell down the stairs earlier and Melissa wouldn't even help her, so I did. I don't get Mel, she's so cool and all, but then when it comes to mom she don't even care. Oh, well. I just got back from my dad's. I swear, Jen (*his stepmom*) is to nice. SHe's like, "Oh, Ri, look what you got!" like I'm still five-years-old. My mom's boyfriend was over with his son and daughter, Tony and Destanie. They're okay. Tony is eight, and Destanie is my age. He got me a new trick bike, which I really love. My mom got me a new skateboard and ramp and a dog! His name is Zeus...He's my baby, haha. I hate my dad. For leaving mom, for taking my sisters, and everything. But then again, I hate being home, too, because my mom counts on me for everything. She's either insanely angry or insanly depressed. Today, she was depressed, because my sister isn't bringing my nephew, Sebastion, or just Bastion, over. He's all splotchy, I said, why does she wanna see him so bad, anyway?!  
  
MARCH 11, 2002  
  
My sister's new baby, Steffan, was born today. Joy. The same day (only a year later) that my uncle died and so did Kristyn's granny. And Kristyn's birthday was yesterday. That's kinda screwed.  
  
SEPTEMBER 13, 2002  
  
Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Oh shit. Do I need to say it again?! I just got back from questioning with the cops and Kristyn. Kristyn's fagget-ass neighbors called the COPS because we had a BB gun and were "shooting them". Kristyn's little sisters and brothers were around, I highly doubt that we'd be shooitng people! Gosh, I'm real scared. We're gonna have to go to court I think but our probation officer (this isn't the first time we've been in trouble together), Richie, is also my neighbor, and said that we wouldn't get more than a year probation. That's a HUGE relief. My mom spanked the hell out of me, but she said as soon as we get off of probation that me and Kristyn are to go whoop Andy's @$$. She's serious, to.  
  
FEBRUARY 2003  
  
I'm sitting in the back of this car with my probation officer, Richie, and Kristyn is next to me. I'm going to some school called Horizon cuz I beat the crap out of Andy and instead of juvie I picked this, and temporarily I was taken from my mom. This shit is really pissing me off. Kristyn is coming because she has a hearing about her probation crap and Richie wouldn't have time to pick her upa fter tkaing me. She's just staring ahead and Richie's looking at both of us like we're crazy. I'm kinda glad I'm coming here. I mean, it's better than juvie and being with my dad until thye find my mom fit to be a mother. Whatever that means.  
  
**NExt chapter will be better** 


	19. Alison's Story

In The Best Interest--"Alison's Story"  
  
**Okay here's a break in the story, to give stories about the 3 new characters. They're still secrets left in the open, so I'm not giving htem out. If you'll liked my Eminem story, A New Life, since ff.net is deleting all music group stories, I moved that to my personal site PYSCHO ON-LINE, and I'll give you the URL to the site when I re-open it. It still only has oen chapter but hopefully by the time I update it will have more. Happy reading!**  
  
Alison walked home, the two or three miles home. She didn't know anymore. She was sweating in the southern Cali heat, in her academy uniform with 'Central Lovejoy Academy' stitched on the pocket.  
  
She was walking because her stepmom, Ashley Lynn, said she needed to get back in shape. Alison understood that Ashley wanted her family to appear perfect, but it was 90 degrees outside and she was out of shape. Just two months ago she had given birth to her beautiful baby boy, Roger Joseph Matthews, so she was still out-of-shape. Not terribly, she was still skinny and pale, but enough to where the walk became more unbearable each day as she sat through classes dreading the seeping, angry sun glaring down at her.  
  
Some days she was allowed to take the bus, she could credit Ashley that. Only when she had to take care of Roger, whom, luckily, was allowed to stay with the family because Ashley and her father agreed if Alison helped raise him as the mother.  
  
She reached home at 6, as Ashley was preparing dinner. The dinner was one of her favorites, home-made cheeseburgers, mashed potatoes and peas.  
  
She loved Ashley, because Ashley had taken care of her when her own mother abadoned her because she wasn't good enough. or something like that. But, ALison sometimes felt as if Ashley wold rather get rid of her although she always took care of her and treated her as her own.  
  
Alison sat down, stretching out her aching legs and pealing off the sticky bookbag and sweater that the girls were required to wear.  
  
She had't bothered taken it off because her backpack had no room, because Ashley required all books to be brought home daily for studies.  
  
"Time to weigh-in," Ashley chirped as she set Roger on Alison's lap. "Hey, Rog," Alison cooed and kissed her baby.  
  
Alison laid Roger on the floor next to his toys and followed Ashley to the laundry room where the scale was kept. Reluctantly, Alison stepped on the scale and squeezed her eyes shut. She heard Ashley make a tsk-tsk noise.  
  
"You only have lost two pounds in a week, Alison, baby. I'm thinking about you having dinner tonight. You know I do this because I love you and i want you to be pretty, right?" she asked. Alison just nodded and grabbed Roger and raced up the stairs.  
  
At dinner Alison trudged down the stairs, carrying Roger, also. Ashley eyed her, from her hips to her face, which was swollen from crying, but her eyes weren't red, so Ashley thought that she hadbeen closet eating.  
  
"May i please have dinner, Ashley? I haven't had it in two days, or any other meals." Alison begged. "Sweetie, not until you lose five pounds." Ashley said firmly as she served her father.  
  
Alison looked at her father for support. "Sorry." was all he managed to mumble before he spooned some mashed potatoes into his mouth.  
  
Alison swallowed (she wasn't allowed to cry in front of ashley, it showed you were weak) and placed Roger in his high chair and flew up the stairs.  
  
**Next: Benji's story, then Riley's** 


	20. Benji's Story

In The Best Interest--"Benji's Story"!  
  
**Okay, I lied..I know, horrible me! But, I'm adding ONE more character, Riley's friend, because that's based on me and I have a lot going on and i'm wondering if having me there will help. I know, I'm stange. If her backround w/ her family sounds kinda like Nicole's was in SOM, that's because (besides the way Nicole looked) some of what Nicole was going through was based on me. I'll go ahead and do her story after Riley's and explain it more in there!**  
  
"Hey, fagget!"  
  
"Gayfor, over here! Wanna touch it?"  
  
"Bend over lately, Benji?"  
  
Benji Wassimo ignored the calls and walked, with his chin held high, home. It was like this everyday, so why should it bother him now? Except it did.  
  
It mattered more so to his father. Benji was the complete oppisite of his father. Benji's full name was Benjamin Walt Wassimo. His dad's was Steven John-Michael Wassimo. Benji was into certain types of dancing, and ice skating. His dad was into football, baseball, hockey, etc. Benji had flat brown hair, his dad had spiked-up, light and full brown hair. Benji was pale from being inside (partly from fear of being killed, partly because his only friend had moved away the previous summer), and his dad was naturally dark and dark from being outside most of the time.  
  
It hurt his dad to see Benji, because Benji was a dissapointment. Instead of having a tough, sports-loving, handsome son, he got...Benji. BENJI, was the first thing his dad had said in disgust, when he was four and demanded being called that instead of 'Ben' or 'Benny'. BENJI.  
  
Benji walked in and heard the football game roaring from the living-room big screen. His mom had walked out when she found out that Benji was gay, and he hadn't heard from her since.  
  
"Benji, get your ass in here!" his dad screamed.  
  
Benji sighed and walked in. Steve looked him over in disgust. Benji was wearing tight black jeans and a short red shirt. "What the hell are you wearing? What about those clothes I bought you, huh?!"  
  
Benji sighed again. "Dad, you know they're just not me!" He said in an exasperated tone. "What, not TIGHT? Not GAY enough for you?!"  
  
Benji's eyes swlled with tears and Steve smacked him. "God, why'd I have to get a fagget for a son?" Steve screamed and stomped out of the room. Benji winced as he heard the car door slam and it rev out of the neighborhood. 


	21. Riley's Story

In The Best Interest--"Riley's Story"  
  
Riley walked to his class. More like, half ran, half skipped, and walked when teachers gave him "the look" that he averaged about 20 timesa day. His friend, Kristyn, giggled besides him as they both trampled through the halls of Jonesboro Middle. Both were pale for Georgians, however it was because both were naturally, because both were out more than most kids combined.  
  
Riley's hair (it was light a light brown/light orange) was spiked up, kind of naturally, with the help of a small amount of gel. Kristyn's dark brown hair was highlighted a deep blonde that commented her skin tone that was currently a litle more tanned than usual, as was Riley.  
  
"Hey you goobers, quit!" Ms. Podralski, their language arts teacher, called after them laughingly. It was like that with them; both kids were so easily entertained and sweet that it was hard for a teacher to scold them, even lightly, although it happened often.  
  
They split their ways, as Kristyn was in Mrs. Hall's homeroom and Riley was in Mrs. Bisch's...They didn't have any classes together because Riley had quit band (Kristyn wanted to) and Kristyn was in the advanced classes.  
  
Riley bounced and wiggled his way out of trouble through the day,then headed home. It was cold, unsually cold for an April day. It was also raining onto him, although he was shorter than most children his age so his jacket covered most of him, while most kids were dodging home for cover.  
  
Riley walked into his house and was warmly greeted by his dog, Zeus. His mom was laying on the couch. "Riley, can you bring me my meds?" she called. Riley put down his backpack and called back "Sure, ma," and got them.  
  
It was one of their usual arguments, although it was more heated. "You are a baseball player; you are not going to wear that THING!" she yelled, her voice raising as Riley's hazel eyes pleaded. It was over his earring, the one she had allowed him to get but now not wear.  
  
"Mom, you're the one who let me get it!" He whined. She sighed. "Riley!" and yanked the earring out. Riley held his ear in shock. "Damn you!" he screamed and ran out the house.  
  
He was usually a carefree, happy, energetic little kid, but that didn't count the time he spent at home...He loved his mom, but things became to hard... 


	22. Kristyn's Story

In The Best Interest--"Kristyn's Story"  
  
**Does anyone mind if this story is a million chapters?! lol!**  
  
The two kids giggled naively as they biked down to the sewer. One was on a trick bike, the smaller boy, but the same age. His spiked up hair wiggled in the light wind and his friend, a little larger, mainly taller, rode on the racing/mountain bike as her think brown hair with blonde highlights got messed up in the wind.  
  
Adam, the smaller boy, stopped and threw the bike in the yard, the yard of Kristyn's little sister's best friend, Patrick. Kristyn, the larger girl, imitated him and they looked in the sewer. It had been raining and still was, heavily. They watched in awe as the water rushed into the pipes. Kristyn hoisted the heavy, metal lid and dropped it before it hit her toe. They dangled their legs in the water and Kristyn spoke, "Let's go down there!"  
  
Adam grinned in agreement. That's the way they were. Kristyn went first. It wasn't that bad; this particuliar drain was far down, so most of the rain hit the other drains. They shivered, half with delight, and half with coldness.  
  
Suddenly both were swept under the current, screaming with fear. Kristyn immidiatey hit her head on the pipe and was thrown back. Adam tried keeping her afloat, and kept screaming, in hope that someone would hear. His hopes were, for once, not ruined and Kristyn's dad appeared.  
  
**At the hospital**  
  
Kristyn's eyes opened and she struggled to readjust to the light. She instantly realized where she was, because her and Adam had gotten into many accidents, half of them to dangerous to believe they were stupid enough to attempt them.  
  
Kristyn turned her head and saw her dad and groaned silently as the screaming started. "Are you crazy? I thought the last time you landed here you had gotten enough sense to QUIT your CRAP! Your sisters could've been hurt!" he exclaimed angrily. "My sisters?! They were at Grandma's, DAD! You're worried about them, and last time I landed here, we were at by a drunk driver while we were riding bikes, if you remembered, it wasn't our fault!" she yelled.  
  
He shook his head. "I can't stand being here so often, Kristyn, it HURTS okay? To think that you may just be killed one day because you and Adam are feeling dangerous? How do you think that makes ME feel?" he snapped.  
  
"That's all you care about is yourself and your darling daughters. Forget me. Forget Jarett. Forget Gary. It's all about YOU and making sure Jordan and Taryn are just fine!" she screamed.  
  
**Later**  
  
"This isn't fair, Ritchie!" She whined to her probation officer as she and Adam left the court house. Adam had beaten up some boy (her neighbor) and had just been told he'd be going to some school in the mountains.  
  
"Don't whine to me right now, Nikki," he snapped, using the name he often called her. "Don't whine to me, Nikki!" she mimicked him angrily.  
  
**Okay I'll update soon, promises! Friday and MOnday I have school off, but from Saturday morning until Sunday night I'll be in Tennessee with my family and next weekend, my biological dad is visiting from Minnesota, so I'll probably won't be updating!** 


	23. Teaching Mark

In The Best Interest--"Mark's First Lesson"  
  
**Okay hopefully that cleared up any confusion**  
  
Mark sat glumly at the docks when Kristin walked up next to him. "Hey, Mark," she said. Mark was so surprised he almost fell into the water, but he grabbed hold of the pole and paced himself.  
  
"Hi." he answered. "It's time for our first lesson...We have a test next week, and it'd be cool if you passed, right?" she asked, trying to find the right words. "Why don't you just say it? It'd be nice if you can read it?!" he exclaimed.  
  
"That's not what I was trying to say, Mark. I don't CARE that you can't read, okay? You could be the dumbest person and it wouldn't matter. People like Sammy, they get kicks out of making fun of people like you. And you KNOW that, and that's why you let it bother you." she said stubbornly. "No it's not." he snapped, just as stubbornly.  
  
"Listen, I havea newbie to show around later PLUS a whole lot of other stuff I could be doing than teaching you how to read, okay? So either do it or NOT so I can tell Peter that I tried so he will get off my back." she said.  
  
"FINE. I will!" he mumbled an answer. "Okay," she said, calming down, and opened a reader. "What's this?" he asked, frowning at the large writing. "A book." she answered. "Gee, genius!" he snapped. "THis one in my hand is a book called One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss. Have you heard of him?" she asked. He shrugged, "Ronica may've read some, but I don't remember any." "Green Eggs and Ham?" she suggested. "Yeah..I know that one. IT was funny."  
  
"Yeah, well this is, too. And this," she said, taking out the second reading workbook, "is a series called 'Be a Better Reader'. THis is level A, the first level, and they go up to level G. We'll be working on them in class, some will be on C but most will probably be on D or F. Only a few of us are on G. You'll probably start in this one." she admitted to him. "Are you in G?" he demanded. SHe shrugged with an embarassed look. "I guess."  
  
"It would figure. Oh well. WHat is this series about?"  
  
"'Be a Better Reader' is a reader. It has passages from a story written, or stories written specifically for the series. Then, you have questions on it. Some are true/false, but most are locating main ideas, and answer-type questions." she explained.  
  
"Have you done thisbook?" he asked, taking it into his hands. "No. I started in C, in the fourth grade when everyone was on that..." she said, again getting embarassed. She didn't want to seem as if she was bragging.  
  
"Oh," was all he answered. "Let's read this one first," he said, pointing to the bright yellow covered book, the Dr. Seuss classic, and he tossed the Be a Better Reader aside. "Okay." she agreed.  
  
By the third page, they were both giggling at the antics at the fishes, and the silly rhymes. "You read this page," she said. He swallowed. "I don't think I can," he said. "Just try." she said.  
  
He did, even though it took him twice as long as it should've if he were able to read. "It's not that you can't read, Mark, it's that you're not on the level you should be." she said when they were finished with the book. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"You're fourteen. The average kid has a reading level one or two years below their age. You should be on a sixth grade, maybe fifth grade level, but by the looks of this, you're probably on a..." she configured it in her head, "a first, maybe a second, maybe even an early third."  
  
He wasn't as happy as she thought he would be. "What's wrong? You should be happy." she said.  
  
"I know, it's just..I feel so stupid compared to you. You're so SMART, and then you trying to teach me how to read, or, excuse me, read on level, makes me feel dumb." he admitted.  
  
"Don't." she snapped, "I'm not that smart, it's just I studied, because I didn't have TIME to do anything else but study fi I wanted to survive with my dad, so don't give me that crap about feeling dumb compared to me, becuase I'd be where you were if I let him control me like you let your parents control you. You have to get past them, because you're going to be no one, which is what they expect you to be!" she finished angrily. "So quit WHINING because I'll get you a real genius to do this..I'll get you Kat, she's real smart. She's the one you should be feeling dumb compared to." she added.  
  
"I didn't mean it that way." he snapped, just as furious. "Whatever. Do page one." she commanded, throwing him the book, stood up, and walked/stomped off. 


	24. Not Another Newbie

In The Best Interest--"The Newbie...Again..."  
  
**Haha I promise the other charactersa re going to be more involved, soon. This story is so much more interesting (to me) than SOM, because I'm not worried about the length, ya know? Anyway I can't wait to start Denial...But I also acn't wait to finish TOB!**  
  
Kristin quickly ran to Peter's office where he was talking to a girl that was bouncing around and, Kristin guessed, the girl's mother. "Kristyn! Stop that NOW!" her mom scolded. The girl, Kristyn, walked over to her mom and tried to stay still. "I wish I could stay long, sweetie-" "Dat's a-otay, mumma," Kristyn shrieked, shifting from foot to foot.  
  
"Peter, here's her medicine, which I told you about. She took it during school hours, but if that'll be a problem here I'm sure she can manage for a few hours."  
  
"No, that's okay, it'll be fine for her to take it during class."  
  
Kristyn's 'mumma' kissed her and sped off, leaving a tired-looking Peter, a mischief-seeking Kristyn, and a confused Kristin. "Kristyn, this is another Cliffhanger, also named Kristin." Peter introduced the two. "You can call me Nikki. My middle name is Nicole, and that's what my probation officer calls me, anyways."  
  
"Okay, that will be easier. Kris-I mean, Nikki, is already checked in, so can you please show her around, Kristin?" Peter asked. "Sure. C'mon," Kristin said. Nikki followed, having no problem keeping up.  
  
She knew her friend, Riley, was here, so she wasn't as upset as other kids would've been. And she was especially glad to get away from her father-or "my male parental unit" as she preferred.  
  
"This," Kristin said, motioning towards the younger cliffhangers who were working on various homework assignments (Mark on the workbook page), "are the Cliffhangers. The younger ones, anyways. The high-school area is those cabins there, and the older ones are Auggie, Jules, Shelby, Scott, Ezra, Kat, David, and Daisy. You might see them around. These are Benji, Mark, Sam, Katie, Liz, Cole, Ashley and-"  
  
"RILEY!" she shrieked. Riley looked up and saw his best friend and his eyes gleamed. "Kristyn!" he exclaimed happily.  
  
"I have a feeling you two know eachother?" Mark suggested. "Gee, smack the illiterate genius!" Sam said sarcastically. "I'll smack someone, alright!" Mark yelled and shoved Sam off the bench and onto the ground. "I'm sick of you, Campbell!" he snapped, and just as he was about to punch him Sophie stepped up. "Mark! Sam!" she exclaimed angrily. Mark jumped up, as did Sam.  
  
"What a wonderful way to welcome Nikki," Sophie answered the guilty looks. "Nikki?" Riley asked. "Yeah, her name is Kristin, too, so I told them to just call me Nikki like Ritchie does."  
  
"What about Kris?" he asked. "I don't know, Ri," she said.  
  
"Well, it's time for group, so follow the rest of the group," Sophie instructed and led the "troop".  
  
**That's all...What do you think of the Kristyn/Riley duo??** 


	25. Getting Closer

In The Best Interest--"Getting Closer  
  
After group the girls were in the cabin talking. "So do you go out with RIley? Becuase if I did, I wouldn't be to disapointed...Even if he is a little short," Katie said to Nikki. Nikki grinned. "No, we're just friends...Good friends," she said with a wink. Liz walked past them and got into her bed. "Light's out in five minutes," They heard Sophie call from outside.  
  
Kristin sat by Nikki and Katie. "Doesn't she talk?" Nikki whispered about Liz. "No," Kristin answered her. "Hey, Liz," Nikki called. Liz looked up from her book but didn't answer. "Who's your favorite singer?" she asked. Liz shrugged. "You don't know? Or you don't wanna tell?" Nikki tried to get her to talk, even a little.  
  
"We don't bite," Katie commented, getting a little smile from Liz. "See, you can smile," Kristin said, giggling. "Where're you from?" Nikki asked. Liz went back to her book so Katie answered, "Somewhere in the Northern US. In New England area, I think."  
  
Liz nodded, not looking up. Nikki shrugged. "We tried."  
  
"So why are you here?" Katie asked, getting into her bed. Nikki's goofy grin fell. "No reason." she answered. "You aren't here if you're a normal, happy person. And we know you're not normal, so, what?" Katie pointed out in a teasing way.  
  
"There's no reason, okay? My dad just wanted to get rid of me, that's it." Nikki snapped and climbed into her bed. "What crawled up your butt?" Katie mumbled. Sophie appeared in the doorway. "Light's out, girls," she said.  
  
"'Night, Sophie," they all answered, except Liz.  
  
They were laying in the silent room, well, silent except for Nikki's light snores. Katie started talking to Kristin, and Liz. "So what do you think is up with her?" Katie asked Kristin. "I don't know. SHe takes ritalin, so maybe she has ADD, like David, or ADHD." Kristin responded.  
  
"She sure is hyper, like RIley. He's so cute!" Katie gushed. "Yeah, I know. What do you think Liz? You think he's cute?" Kristin asked.  
  
They could see Liz's small smile through the moon's glare on the room, so they knew she did. "Y'all should hook up," Katie said teasingly.  
  
"I'm tired." Kristin whined and pulled her blankets over her head. "Hi Tired, I'm Katie," Katie said and they all giggled. It was like a sleepover, not like they were at a school for dysfunctional teens. 


	26. Riley's A Fighter!

In The Best Interest--"Riley's a Figher?!"  
  
**Whup, I haven't updated TOB in...forever! Goodness, writer's block get out! ::Pounds on head::..ANyway I finished up NIghtmare IN THe Park adn started another one...I might do a sequel to NITP...I'm tinkin' about it..**  
  
The next day they were in school, taking a reading test. Mark struggled with it, to say the least. Riley now sat in front of him and was flying through the questions. Mark didn't want to, but he peaked over Riley's shoulder (it was easy considering the height difference). Just as Peter called 'time's up', Mark finished down his answers and put down his pencil.  
  
His stomach felt funny, and he felt wrong. He had never cheated, even on the tests that he knew would determine if he would get held back or now. It didn't matter, when he had done it, but now he just wanted to erase them. Just as he was about to Peter took his paper.  
  
"I, I need to do something," Mark said quickly. "Sorry, Mark," Peter said and walked on.  
  
It was after class and Riley and Nikki were bouncing along with Katie, Kristin and Sam. "You're crazy, Riley..You need to go to charter!" Sam said, laughing. Riley stopped bouncing and so did Nikki. Before she could calm him down Riley snapped at Sam.  
  
"Take that back. You don't know anything about charter. It's for depression, not craziness, so get it right!" he screamed. "Whatever." Sam said.  
  
"My mom went there you gayford!" Riley yelled and punched Sam in the stomach. Nikki tried to get Riley off, but Peter came just as Riley was about to punch Sam again. "Riley!" he exclaimed.  
  
Nikki tried to sneak off but Peter stopped her. "I don't think so, Nikki. Sam, go the nurse's office. Riley, Nikki, follow me."  
  
**I would make this longer, but ya know I gotta go,lol...More tomorrow..Maybe tonight..** 


	27. The Letter

In The Best Interest--"The Letter"  
  
*PWease review...I'll finish TOB soon...I guess...I don't really know how to get back on it...I'll work on it over the week...*  
  
Peter opened Riley's file. Riley and Nikki were sitting across from him, fidgeting. "How was it at your dad's, Riley?" Peter asked. "I hate him," Riley snapped. "Why?"  
  
"He left me and mom...And took my sisters. Turned them against her. She's sick."  
  
"Flu-sick? Cancer sick?"  
  
"No. Sick in the head."  
  
Peter sighed. "Riley, you should be proud of yourself." He said calmly. "Why?"  
  
"Not many kids open up."  
  
"I wasn't opening up, I just don't think I should be embarassed that my mom is nuts. At least not to someone I don't know.  
  
"I love my mom, Peter. Don't think I don't...It' just, I can't handle taking care of her sometimes. And when DEFACS took me away I was relieved and angry."  
  
"What about this letter?" Peter asked, holding up a letter from a year ago. Riley looked at Nikki who's face turned bitter. "What about it?" she asked.  
  
'Riley, This looks pretty stupid, doesn't it? We can always talk on the phone. Right? I just want to make sure. I'm running away. I swear, I'm serious this time. I'm sick of the yelling. Being the house slave. Not having anyone to talk to except you and my uncle that is god knows where now. I wish I could talk to Mrs. P but I'm scared she'll just ignore me, even though I think I know that she won't. SHe's not like mom. She's not like the other teachers and thereapists and counselors. If you don't wanna come I understand. I love your mom, and I know that she'll get hurt or something if you're not there. The slave master just got done yelling at me. Why...I'm three minutes past my bedtime. Jordan and Taryn (his darling angels, remember that) are still up, thirty-three minutes past their bedtime. I'll talk to you later. "next time he catches me I'm gonna get my ass whooped". So I better go. Your friend Kristyn.  
  
"That's MINE!" Nikki yelled and snatched it from Peter angrily. "How'd you get this?!" She screamed, "this is MINE, my private letter! No one was suppose to know!" she cried. "Nikki, I'm sorry, it was on your file. If I knew that it would make you upset I wouldn't have read it," he apologized.  
  
"Peter, what's our punishment?" Riley asked. "I want you two to write in these journals. Put your feelings down. The only pages I'll read are the ones you don't mark as 'don't read', okay? Put your true feelings. There are certain pages that have questions. Fill them in as you go." Peter explained. "That's it?" Nikki asked.  
  
"I think...I think that you two are angry. At yourselves, your parents, your home life, everything. SOme kids, shuns work. For you guys, I think getting your anger out will help, rather than punishing you. But I would like to know why you get into a fight?"  
  
"Sam said something about charter. He doesn't know anything about it. It's not a mental institution. My mother went there. It's for depression." Riley mumbled angrily, "so when he said it like it's for crazy people I said 'take it back' and he wanted. Nikki didn't do anything she just tried to protect me." Riley explained.  
  
"Okay. Thanks for telling the truth."  
  
"Whatever," Riley answered and two filed out. 


	28. Katie Likes WHO!

In The Best Interest--"Katie likes WHO?!"  
  
**Whoo it's beena loooong time hasn't it! lol maybe not *real* long but longer than usual. GUESS WHAT?! I finished TOB! So I'll start on DENIAL tonight!**  
  
Kristin was helping Mark with his reading when she noticed Katie sitting by herself, and Cole doing the same, both looking bitter. Kristin walked over to Cole. "Hey," she said. "Hey." he mumbled. "What's up?"  
  
"This work is to easy."  
  
"Not the math!"  
  
"Yes, the math." Kristin changed the subject. "Go to the docks. Katie told me to tell you." she said secretly. Either this will work out, or Cole and Katie would beat her to a bloody pulp. She hoped it worked.  
  
"Why?" he asked. "Do I look like her?" Kristin demanded. "Shut up!" she said before he could answer. He just shook his head and walked to the docks.  
  
Then, Kristin walked over to Katie. "Hey, shorty," Katie greeted her. Kristin ignored this and started talking. "Cole said to meet him by the dock, right now," Kristin said casually. "Why?" Katie asked. "What is it with y'all!" Kristin mumbled and walked back to Mark. "NOW!" she called over her shoulder.  
  
Katie shook her head and walked to the docks. Cole was waiting, with his feet in the water. "Hi." he said.  
  
"Hi. What'd you want?" she asked.  
  
"What do I want, what do YOU want?" he demanded.  
  
"What do you mean what I want? Kristin said you wanted to talk to me!"  
  
"Well she said the same thing-That little brat!" Cole exclaimed. "You gotta admit, it was a funny trick." Katie pointed out. Cole got up and started walking off but Katie stopped him. "Why do you think she did this?" Katie asked logically. "To annoy us." Cole answered. "No, because she wants us together. Duh." Katie pointed out, "if she's your friend that's why."  
  
"It was a stupid idea!" Cole said angrily, "I don't need her setting me up."  
  
"Maybe she wasn't."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"Maybe...Maybe I like you." 


	29. Cole LikesLiz Is Feisty!

In The Best Interest--"Cole Likes...Well, ya know!"  
  
*Heh...please review! I've gotten, like, 3 reviews in...A week, or somethin'! I started my new Ezra story! Hehe actually it's not new, it's from like early this year like March! I've said 'like' to much! GET NICK CARTER'S CD! It's ROCK not pop, oka? Their *might* be a song from that CD here, cuz one relates to what they're all going through called "WHo Needs The World?" and one called "Help Me"! Well please review and get the CD, hehe!*  
  
Cole stared at her in disbelief. "YOU like ME?" he stammered, his face going red. "Uh...Yeah...I guess," she admitted. "You don't like me?" she questioned with embarassment. "No! I mean, yes, I mean...Yeah, I do like you...I was just REAL surprised, to say the least!" He said with a nervous laugh. "Looks like Kristin didn't completely screw up!"  
  
Just as he said that Kristin jumped out from behind a bush and yelled- "HEY!" and was about to continue but she lost her balance...  
  
Cole and Katie burst into a fit of laughter as Kristin landed in the water. "That's what you get for being a sneak!" Katie said through her laughs as Kristin screamed from the coldness. Cole helped her pull herself up when Peter walked up.  
  
"Kristin! I thought you learned from last time...? Go to my office after dinner, please, but for now please get changed. Cole, Katie everyone's looking for you, it's dinner," Peter instructed then turned back to Kristin, "and don't 'forget' this time."  
  
"I really did forget last time!" Kristin whined after him as she jogged to her room. Cole and Katie walked to the cafeteria (is that what they call it? *shrugs*...It's been to long! *Whines* I better get them for Christmas!). "SO..Was that a yes?" Katie asked.  
  
Cole grinned. "Definately!"  
  
They were eating when Benji sat next to Sam. "Oh no, the fagget!" Same groaned, earning a little laugh from Mark and a few of the older ones from other groups, but everyone else just ignored him.  
  
"Sam-" Benji started to say but Sam interupted, "get away, gayfor! I might get what YOU have!" he exclaimed.  
  
"You know what YOU have, Sam? RACISM. I'm ME; you're a CLONE. So fuck off!" Benji yelled. "Oooh, he's getting a little angsty!" Sam said, laughing so hard he almost started choking.  
  
Benji glared at him with hate and then ran out. "That was a real ass thing to do, Sam!" Liz snapped.  
  
Everyone turned their heads to face Liz, silently. "You, you can talk!" Riley said, not trying to be mean and/or funny, and Liz didn't answer.  
  
Even Sam, for once, seemed speechless. "Are you OK?" Cole asked as he put his tray down. "You don't know how it feels to be ridiculed, do you SAM? He can't control that! And 'fagget' doesn't mean gay! So for all you know YOU could be a fagget!" she snapped.  
  
Sophie walked up. "Is there a problem?" she asked. Liz got quiet again. Everyone, to avoid trouble, spread out to where they had been before and only Sam answered with a quick shake of his head.  
  
Sophie looked suspiciously back and forth between Sam and Liz, but in the end she walked off. "Freak." Liz heard Sam mutter as she headed back to where she sat. 


	30. Benji

In The Best Interest "Class Project" The next day, they were in class after lunch. "Hi, Ben," Liz said quietly. "It's Benji." He snapped. "Benji," she corrected herself.  
  
"Don't let Sam get to you. He's, he's a jerk."  
  
"I think I realized that. Whatever. Peter's here." He said, as if Liz couldn't see that Peter had arrived. "Okay, okay. Take your seats!" He commanded. The students more or less did as they were told, with a few (Sam, Mark, Katie) ignoring him and a few (Kristin, Cole, Riley) groaning.  
  
"Today," Peter started, "we are going to start a class project." He paused for effects, rolling his eyes at the few dreamy eyes, few distressed looks, and a paper airplane or two ("NIKKI! RILEY!").  
  
"It's not as bad as you think. You will get into groups of four. I have the groups. Some of you will be happy, some of you probably not. The groups are as follows.  
  
Riley, Kristin, Katie, Mark and Sam. Nikki, Benji, Cole, Alison and Liz. Are there any problems?"  
  
They silently shook their heads. Benji wanted to be with Sam, but at the same time.hated him. He also hated himself; for being so different. For being so.opposite of what his father wanted.  
  
"The project is to fill out these sheets about each member in the group. And one on yourself."  
  
"Peter, what's the point of this?" Cole asked.  
  
"I'm glad you asked, Cole. The point of this is getting to know the people around you. Getting to know your friends, and getting to know yourself."  
  
"I already know about my self. I don't know about y'all." Benji mumbled. "Southern and Gay! This just isn't your life, Benji- boy!" Sam hooted with laughter. Benji got silent, but Peter didn't.  
  
"Sam! Step outside. Benji, do the same." Peter yelled at Sam. Everyone quieted. Sam trudged outside and Benji followed. Peter followed them.  
  
"Sam, apologize to Benji."  
  
"No!" Sam exclaimed, "why should I? Everything I said was true." "Sam! Go to my office. You should honestly be ashamed of yourself!" Sam shrugged and walked slowly to Peter's office. Peter put a comforting hand on Benji's shoulder, but Benji shrugged it off. "Don't worry about him, Benji," Peter instructed. Benji just walked inside the room again, oblivious to the stares.  
  
"Um, well I guess I can let you out early today. Remember to do your homework.It's on the board. We'll start the project tomorrow." 


	31. calling sam

In The Best Interest--"Sam's Secret Past...Pt1"  
  
Peter angrily walked to his office, trying to control his anger. How can a child be so...cruel? Although he knew how. It was not jus tmusic artists, like Eminem, which seemed to be everyone's belief. It also had to do with the kid's upbringing. This didn't mean the kid had to be beaten, like COle or Kristin, just maybe he didn't fit in, so he took his anger on someone else.  
  
It was hard to figure this out. By the time Peter got to the office, he was just curious on what made Sam so vengeful. He walked into the office and saw Sam sitting in one of the chairs already.  
  
Peter sat down, looking through Sam's file. "Sam, what's up?" Peter asked. "The sky." Sam retorted. "I didn't know that. Thanks for the newsflash. Why wouldn't you apologize to Benji?"  
  
"Why should I? He's a fagget; he knows it, so what? End of story."  
  
"NOT end of story!" Peter yelled at him, "Benji maybe be GAY, but you don't know what a 'fagget' is, do you, Sam? It doesn't mean GAY. There is nothing wrong with being gay. Do you understand that?"  
  
"I understand that just fine. But it's not true. There is a lot wrong wiht being...gay."  
  
"I'm calling your parents, okay, Sam?"  
  
"SO what? They won't care. Especially not over some pansy."  
  
Peter ignored him and dialed his parent's phone. "Hello, is Mr. or Mrs. Campbell home?"  
  
"This is Mr Cambell."  
  
"Hey, it's Peter. From Mount Horizon, where Sam is."  
  
"Oh, hey Peter. What's he done now?"  
  
"I'd rather discuss it face-to-face, if it's not a problem."  
  
"Of course not. Actually...We've been meaning to tell Sam some stuff. About his past...It's really important. We'll be there tomorrow. At noon, if that's okay?"  
  
"Of course. Well I'll see you then."  
  
"Right. Bye."  
  
"Well, Sam, your parents will be here tomorrow," Peter said, preferring not to tell him the while reason *why*, because he didn't want the kid to fret. "Whatever." Sam said, "can I go?"  
  
"I haven't told you your punihsment yet."  
  
"For WHAT? For being truthful?"  
  
"No, for being cruel. What have you got against Benji? The fact that he just might be gay? Don't answer. Your punishment is kitchens for a week."  
  
"Okey." 


	32. And the secret's out!

In The Best Interest--"...And the secret's out"  
  
*Please Revew, for the love of...Eminem, reviw! Oh yeah, see 8 MILE! That movies totally kicks @$$! I saw it w Adam...Ya, I know! Oh yeah and I changed my personal site back into a fiction site and I added a chapter to my Eminem story, remember a New Life? Well when I reopen it, I'm gonna give y'all the link!*  
  
Sam sat on the bench, and didn't move when he saw his parents drive up. His mom had some kind of box in her hands. Peter greeted them. "Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Campbell."  
  
"Hey, Peter." they answered. "Sammy," Mrs. Campbell said. "It's Sam." Sam answered. "Peter, can we talk about what he did later? We need to talk to him.." Mr. Campbell asked. "Oh of course. Well, have fun," Peter said and jogged off. "KRISTIN! NIKKI! RILEY! Out of my office NOW! And let GO of the squrrial!" he yelled as he saw the three try to sneak into his office.  
  
Sam laughed and turned to his parents. "They're a little crazy," he explained to his parents' surprised looks. "Riight." his mom answered.  
  
"Sam, we have something to tell. We want to be straightforward with it." his dad said almost immidiately. "Okay." Sam answered.  
  
His mom pulled out a picture of a mean-looking, angry woman holding a little boy, whom Sam reconized as himself. But in the backround he could see lots of kids. And the woman didn't look like anyone he reconized, and the kids he didn't reconize, either.  
  
"That," his dad started, "is your mother." Sam, with a confused look, stared at his mom. "That doesn't look like mom."  
  
"Becuase it isn't, not this mom."  
  
"What do you MEAN not this mom? She's my only mom!" Sam yelled, partly out of anger and partly because he was going insane inside from fear.  
  
"Look at this," his dad instructed. On the slip of paper it basically said that Simuel Thomas Stevenson had been adopted and had his name changed to Samuel Campbell, to protect his past.  
  
"What do you mean protect my past?!" Sam yelled, the tears of anguish in his eyes.  
  
"Sam, those siblings..You had eight of them. She murdered all about you and another one..."  
  
**heh. So, how do you like it?!** 


	33. The Truth About Sam

In The Best Interest--"The Truth About Sam"  
  
Sam slammed down the picture album. "NO! You're lying, and I know it!" he yelled, covering his ears and screaming as loud as he could. "Sammy, please don't do this," his mom begged as she tried to wrap her arms around him.  
  
He shook his head, the tears covering his face. He struggled out of the bench, falling and scraping up his face and knees in the process. He ran to the woods, and looked behind to see his parents grasping eachother, his mom shaking with sobs, his father yelling his name.  
  
"Fuck, fuck, fuck this isn't happening!" he told himself as he ran through the woods, stumbling on logs and twigs. He heard someone running to him. He looked behind and cursed himself as he saw Peter.  
  
"Sam, wait up!" Peter yelled. He grabbed Sam. Sam, instead of fighting, let himself fall into Peter's arms. "Sam don't ever do that ever again, you understand?!" Peter said harshly into Sam's ear. "Peter, they're not my mom...He's not my dad! They LIED to me! I can't go back...Please don't make me! I'm not even SAM anymore, I'm SIMUEL." Sam screamed.  
  
"You're still Sam, and they're still your parents, Sam. You'll always be."  
  
Sam just shook his head. "They...My real parents...They killed everyone, except me and another. Peter, I wish I were dead with them. I hate myself!" Sam screamed. "DON'T say that, Sam! Don't you DARE!" Peter snapped, "there are people that do love you, no matter what you think. Those people back there...Sam, those people back there are your parents. Blood doesn't matter! They've the ones that have fed you, have loved you for fourteen years! Not the people who would've killed you before your fifth birthday! Those people sitting at the bench, Sam, the ones crying at the bench because they know that they hurt you. THOSE are your parents!"  
  
"The ones who have made me feel like an outsider all my life...Those, you mean?" Sam asked sarcastically.  
  
"Yeah, those Sam. Right. The ones who MEANT to hurt you. Sam, if you don't go back there and get together with your family, you'll ruin the best thing you have. If you want to run from your problems, go ahead. I'm sure there's a nice little kidnapped out there waiting for some kid who feels like killing someone to get their hands on. People like the ones who killed your siblings!"  
  
Peter started walking off, hoping he wasn't to harsh on Sam, but also hoping that the tough love would make Sam realize.  
  
It did.  
  
Sam ran up to Peter. "Peter, it sounds weird, but I...I need to be where it happened. I don't know why. I wnat to meet the one who's still alive. I think, I think I need to."  
  
Peter smiled a little and put an arm around Sam's shoulder. "Then go talk to your parents, Sam." 


	34. Visiting The Forgotten

In The Best Interest--"I wanna See..."  
  
**I know this part is real Sam-based, but more characters will get involved soon! I don't rally know where I'm going to end this. I might never really end it. Dang, I forgot to do the SOM things...Crap...I'll do it soon... OH yeah and not many people are reviewing. Please, do! This chapter is a little graphic, and deals with major child abuse and murder so if you can't stomach it, skim through it and move on! Sorry about it, it's just I wanted to get the point across**  
  
Sam lay in bed that night. He had talked to his parents about going to his home. Everyone knew that six kids had been murdered there, and no one had ever moved in, so it was the same it had been. Same furniture, some even said that you could kind of feel the babies there. Most of them were just that- BABIES. Not one kid over age nine lived in that house. The oldest killed was the nine-year-old, a girl named Stephanie. His parents had agreed that tomorrow they would head down to Maine, and then for two weeks rejoice as a family. Whatever thta meant.  
  
Maine was where his family had lived. Him, and his siblings. He had learned that his siblings were Stephanie Leigh, 9, Nickolas Aaron (THAT'S my cousin's name, so BITE ME!), 7, Sarah Michelle, 6 and her twin sister, Bobbie Jean, Timothy James, 4, Sim was 3, and the living one was Roger Michael, 2, and the youngest, Adam Arthur, barely two months.  
  
**The next day, in Maine**  
  
Sam stepped out of the car and looked at the house. It was small, and Sam found it hard to concieve that this had housed eight kids and a dog, not to mention the parents. He felt an arm around his shoulder and smiled sadly at his mother.  
  
He seemed a little overtaken by the powerful smell as he walked in. "No one's cleaned it, since the bodies were taken out. It's almost scary to say, but...The blood and stuff is still in here," the neighbor said. He had been here since then, and said when he heard the little blonde baby was coming back, he was terribly surprised-"NO one was sure where you were. Roger lives a few miles from here. We also were surprised that you didn't know of your past," he had said and shot an accusing look at the Campbells.  
  
"You shared a room with Timmy, Roger, Adam, and Nicky. The other room was Steph, Sarah and Bobbie." he said, showing them the two, tiny rooms. Two twin matresses and a broke-down crib with a bottle in there littered the room. Baby closed were tossed around. "Where, where did I sleep?" Sam asked with tears in his eyes.  
  
Mr. Wayne pointed to the second mattress. It had a little bit of blood on there, and a tiny shirt. Sam picked it up. "That was yours..Your only one," Mr. Wayne said softly. Sam blinked and kept his eyes closed as he got images...  
  
**Flashback**  
  
'Get your ass back here!' the voice screamed. The seven-year-old boy's screams and pleas were heard around the small, crowded house. Nicky was the first gone; strangled. Steph grabbed the three youngest. Sim, who's white blonde hair could blind a sensitive eye, tried to protest but she shoved him in the closet, along with Roger. She was about to hand over the baby, baby Adam, when she screamed and dropped Adam on the hard, wooden floor.  
  
Sim held onto Roger. They cried as they heard their mother beat Steph. "BITCH!" the yelling raged on. They saw, through the crack of the door, the mother turn her back on the limp Stephanie and slowly pick up baby Adam. He was bleeding, and shaking uncontrollably. She cradled him for a moment, then threw him down and watched him die after a seizure. "Love ya, babe," she mumbled as she picked up the body by the arm and walk across the room, playing the baby in the crib.  
  
Sarah, Bobbie, and Timmy were trying to get away, but she grabbed Sarah and flung her to the ground, the sick crack of an unknown bone echoing in the stinky house. "I'm sorry, baby, really," she mumbled as she reached for Bobbie as she tried to move and quickly strangled her.  
  
Timmy, barely four, didn't try to run. Maybe he didn't understand; maybe he just wanted to trust his mommy. She handled him more carefully than the others, as she rocked him back and forth. His brown eyes grew scared, from child intuition as his mom's hand grew even more cold. He tried to fight, and he screamed his lungs out as his blonde hair soaked in the blood of his siblings. "NO!" he screamed in protest as his mom turned on the bathtub-  
  
**ENd of flashb ack*  
  
Sam screamed, "NO! MOM! NO! Let him go, please!" Sam screamed through unrelenting tears. His mom took him in her lap. "THey were screaming, and crying as she hit them! Mom, make her stop! Please! Why didn't he stop her?! WHY!" Sam yelled as he gripped his mom's neck.  
  
"I don't know, baby...I knew we shouldn't have done this!" she said, also crying for her baby. "Mom, please...Make her stop! Make her stop killing them, you have time! She's hasn't killed Timmy yet-" he screamed. Mr. Wayne's eyes widened and Sam's father hugged him. "He's gone, Sammy...It's been ten years, there's nothing we can do!"  
  
**Flashback**  
  
Timmy struggled as his mom gripped him. No tears of guilt flew down her cheeks. Her eyes showed no compassion for the five already dead, no compassion for HER flesh and blood that was struggling in her cold, unloving grip.  
  
"Mommy-" he begged as he kicked her in protest. The mom slammed the boy against the wall and started shaking him. "I did so much for you ungrateful brats! And all's you do is chase him away! ALL YOU DID!" she screamed.  
  
He was almost dead already, but still had fighting power in him. She dragged him into his room and whipped him with a belt as she found a tuxedo, something suitable for him to buried in. She took his clothes off and shoved him under the cold, freezing water.  
  
She kept him under until he had stopped struggling, then brought him back up. His body was blue, and bloody as she carefully dried him off except for his hair and put him inside the suit.  
  
Then, for some unknown reason, she dropped him back in the bathtub, watching his body go down and then float back up.  
  
**End of flash back**  
  
"NO! TIMMY!" Sam screamed as he kicked the mattress, kicked the crib that Adam hadbeen found in. "FUCK HER! I HATE HER!" he screamed.  
  
"Sam, please stop!" his mom begged. She hugged him tightly, pulling his head to her chest. "Sammy, I didn't want to tell you and this is why."  
  
"I survived, mom, I did..Me and Roger. I wanna see my brother!" Sam said, ignoring her comments.  
  
Mr. Wayne spoke up then, "I could give you the directions. Rog, Roger comes to see me a lot. He knows about everything. He knowshow they died and everything. It's kind of hard for him not to, I mean, with him still being in the same town and all. Well, he knows you're in town, Sam. And he wants to see you. He wants to see his big brother..He'll probably call you Sim. His name was originally changed, to. It was to protect you'll..from your parents, and the media. SImuel isn't a very popular name, and I bet there aren't many Simuel Stawlings in Maine, or even New England. His name was gonna be Zachary Brown, but it's Roger Brown..." Mr. Wayne babbled, he obviously cared for the boy a lot. And now, Sammy.  
  
"Mom, can I?" Sam asked. She looked at his dad, who just shrugged. "I don't know Sammy..You're so upset..."  
  
"I need to see him, mom! He's my brother..."  
  
"Okay. But...Please, Sam, don't make the poor boy relive it all like you had to."  
  
"How old is he now?" Sam asked. "ROger is twelve, soon to be thirteen. He visits your siblings graves often."  
  
"Let's go."  
  
**See, I told you. It was kind of hard to write. I mean, I know there is worse stuff but...Ah hopefully I didn't offend you. I'm really sorry if I did. Well I have to go *whoo* that was hard to write...** 


	35. Roger

In The Best Interest, "Roger"  
  
**Hey! I'm gathering pictures of all the characters offline (the only real ones of real people that I know will be me and Riley, or ADAM( They links are either gonna be at the end or next chapter! Please review:) The faster you review the faster the chaps come!**  
  
Samuel and his parents drove to the huge brick house that Roger lived in. Sam stared at the house. It seemed like a dream house. In the back was a white, picket fence that kept the dog back. THere was a playground type- thing, and a bunch of toys, including a few bikes.  
  
Sam walked up to the house after telling his parents that he wanted to do it alone. He knocked on the door. A woman answered the door. SHe wasn't skinny, but a klittle plump with frizzy blonde hair, blue eyes and a warm, inviting smile.  
  
"Simuel! Oh my gosh..." she said, her eyes filling with tears. She pulled him close, much to Sam's surprise. He lived in a big city, and no one cared who the heck you were. In this smalltown in Maine, everyone knew who he was, and he hadn't seen them in almost ten years.  
  
"It-it's Sam," he mumbled into her hair. She pulled him apart and nodded. "Of course...You must be so upset, Sam." she noted thoughtfully. He nodded. "Well, Roger is out in the back, with his sister and brother, Rachel and Rich'rd, 2 and 15." she explained and guided Sam to the backyard.  
  
For a few moments he soaked in the scene. It was behind a screen door, but he could see the three perfectly, and could easily pick our Roger. Rachel and Rich'rd had dark brown hair, and were deeply tanned. Roger looked like him. He had a permanent sarcastic sneer, although it wasn't MEAN, and he had straight blonde hair and was fair like Sam.  
  
Sam hadn't moved or made any noise, but for some reason Roger stopped in his tracks. Rich'rd gave him a weird look and kept playing. Roger then turned around and dropped the soda he was holding at the sight of Sam.  
  
Sam stepped outside, and walked slowly to where Roger stood. "Are you Sim?" Roger asked quietly. "S-Sam..." Sam mumbled an answer.  
  
"Our mom killed everyone else..." Roger said bitterly, being real straightforward. "I know," Sam snapped. "I was just telling...I didn't know if Mr. Wayne had told you." "I saw the house."  
  
"I go there sometimes. And to their graves."  
  
Sam looked at him curiously. "My mom said I could show you. You can ride Rich'rd's bike. It's a trick, BMX bike so you hafta be careful," Roger said.  
  
They biked silently to the cemetary. "You don't seem to happy to meet me," Roger noted as they slowly walked to the lot. Sam was stunned for a second. "I, I. It's not that Roger. It's just, I was at this school and all of a sudden my parents pop up saying I'm adopted. This hasn't been my week." He explained. "WHat school?"  
  
"I was a disturbed youth apparently so they sent me to this school in Canada." ROger stared at him. "You're kidding, right?" Sam shook his head.  
  
Roger nodded and walked to the lot. Sam felt a weird peace go over him. He ran his hands over the tombstones, most so tiny. It had to be a big lot, with six kids, and you could tell that there were a few tiny caskets, because where the graves ended and more began was close.  
  
Then he saw Timmy's. It had an Angel carved in it. "Why is Timmy's different?" Sam asked. "Timmy saved us." Roger explained in a quiet voice. "What are you talking about?" Sam demanded. "Timmy had been fighting. Screaming, kicking, everything. He scrreamed as loud that Mr. Wayne and another neigbor that has moved, Jane and Roy Mack and two others, ran here and found our mother just about to get into the closet to get us.  
  
Roy and Jane were gonna adopt you. To keep you in this town forever." "I didn't know about any of these people. I've never lived here since...I was always in Pennsylvania or Canada."  
  
Roger gave him a confused look. "Yeah you lived here. Your parents, the ones that adopted you, were the ones who found her about to kill you. You lived here until you were five. But everyone kept bringing up the murders around town, and they couldn't take it, so they took you, Max and your sister and left."  
  
Sam didn't answer. "Do you come here often?" he asked. "Almost every day," Roger answered softly, "I knew about them since i was old enough to udnerstand. When you still lived here, we played together a lot. People tried to keep your parents from leaving, they said that we already lost everyone else..."  
  
"Why didn't we stay together, or go to family members?" "We don't have any family members. And this is a smalltown, Sam. We're lucky we were adopted by people we knew. They were just gonna ship us to some orphanage in Virginia."  
  
"We better get going," Sam commented. "I guess." Roger answered.  
  
They biked back and Sam's parents were talking to Roger's. "Sam, we have to leave." his mom spoke up. Sam nodded. "I want to keep in touch with you, Sam. I don't want to..I don't want it to be like before, when we get seperated again. Deal?" Roger asked.  
  
Sam smiled and nodded. "You're my little brother, I don't want to lose you again." he answered. They exchanged numbers and addresses.  
  
"This was cool. I mean, I woulda preferred it to be more personal, and not under such sad things. And to be more like a reuinion instead of two friends meeting. But, it was cool all the same." Roger said as Sam got ready to leave. "Roger, I'll call you later. And when I go back to Horizon, I'll write you."  
  
**Okay I opened my fanfic site, and the Eminem story has opened. GO AND GIVE FEEDBACK! http://www.amazingly-dazed.net/inseperable . The layout is backstreet boys/aaron carter, but that's because that's the main fiction subject and because my friend/host Morgan's domain is an Aaron Carter and Nick Carter one,but she was nice enough to let him include other fiction, too. Gotta go, bye.** 


	36. the Flu Epidermic

In The Best Interest--"Flu Epidemic"  
  
**Please Review!**  
  
Peter walked into the class looking tired a week after Sam had left. He had to explain to the others that Sam was alright, that yes he was coming back, and no it wasn't because he got arrested. "Guys, I know you'll be terribly sorry but," he started sarcastically, "the class project, for now, is postponed."  
  
Everyone mock groaned but Peter just grinned. "However," and the mock groans turned to real groans, "I want you to write a poem about someone in this class. It has to be positive, and only use stuff you already know about them. If you don't know much about anyone, get clues from their moods and facial expressions. And after this, communicate more."  
  
THe hands shot in the air. "Cole?" Peter called on. "Does it have to be someone in this room?" he asked. "Yes. Only out of these kids." "What about the older Cliffhangers?" Kristin whined. "No." Peter answered sternly.  
  
The day went on as they battled inequalities, another chapter from "Lord of the Flies", and the American Revolution. It went by fairly quickly. Peter was about to dismiss them when he remembered something he was suppose to warn them about.  
  
"Wait, guys. Most of hte older Cliffhangers have gotten either colds or the flu, so I'd prefer if y'all stayed inside as much as possible, except for the obvious times when you can't. Instead of using hte benches to do your homework, either stay inside your dorms or the cafeteria or the den, okay? Also, don't go near the other dorms. I know this sounds serious, but flus around here aren't the usual city flu's." he explained.  
  
"Okey," they all answered.  
  
**This was kinda boring, but if I added everything else it'd be kinda rushed and crammed, so the next chapter will also be oput tonight. Sorry for not updating very mcuh** 


	37. Nikki Untitled otherwise

In The Best Interest-"nikki"  
  
**Please Review**  
  
Nikki sat at the bench, completely forgetting about what Peter had told them about the flu thing. Everyone else was inside away form the cold, but she had wanted to be alone.   
  
The poem she was gonna write wasn't about anyone in the class. Not even Riley, he already knew how she felt, and she watned to analyze herself. She sniffed a little. 'It sure is cold,' she thought. But she didn't want to go in. Plus, she lived in weird Georgia weather, where one day it was 80 degrees and the enxt 40, so she figured she could handle it.  
  
She thought about what she wanted her poem to be like. An analyzation of her face and actions, but she was going to be honest. 'the wrinkles and bags under my eyes represent how much I trouble others and how much I trouble myself' she scribbled down.   
  
'My forever-changing eyes represent how spontaneous I can be, and how much I tend to change my mind', 'my hair is a representation of how wild I am, and that I could care less what you thought about me'. 'My straight teeth show that I do care about myself to a certain extent, but not enough to make fun of people who aren't as fortunate as me.  
  
She was trying to finish when she turned around, but almost fainted. "What the hell?" she asked aloud. She quickly got her stuff ready and ran to her dorm, almost throwing up.  
  
She burst through the door, breathless, and almost crying from how bad her neck and head hurt. "Nikki?" Katie asked before Nikki blacked out. 


	38. the Untitled Nikki CHapter

In The Best Interest--"THe Untitled Nikki Chapter"  
  
**Please Review. Sorry it's been so long. No reason..Been on a lot, just not motivated I guess. I woulda added yesterdya but my computer flopped so it got erased and didn't feel like adding it. Look for more this weekend.**  
  
Nikki awoke a few hours later in the infirmary with Sophie sitting in a chair beside her. "Soph?" she asked weakly. Sophie immidiately looked at her. "You're awake! How are you feeling?" she asked quickly. "I'm okay. What happened?" she demaned.  
  
"You fainted, but you're alright. Major case of the flu. I have to go but Peter is here. Are you sure you're okay?" Nikki nodded in response, but found that it only made her dizzy so just mumbled an answer. Sophie smiled and walked away but soon Peter showed up.  
  
"OPen up," he said. "No!" she protested as he unearthed a thermomoter. "Nikki, don't give me a hard time," he demanded. She rolled her eyes and took it. Her temperature wasn't that bad, at 101. "I know it's not your fault that you got sick, but what were you doing outside?" Peter asked after she had drunk some.  
  
"I forgot. Really, I did. I wasn't trying to be a problem. I just wanted to be alone," she explained simply. "Even from Riley?" "He wasn't around," she answered quickly. "Well, the good thing, for you, is that you'll miss a few days of classes. But I'll be here to give you your work. For now, we want you to stay here so you don't spread it. After a few days you can go back to your bed," he said.  
  
She nodded slightly but winced. "You're head will hurt awhile, so dont try to move or anything. Do you want anyone to come in?" he asked. She shrugged. "if they want, I guess." she answered. He looked at his watch.  
  
"I have to go do group, so I'll let you stay here, okay?" he asked. "You need anything?" "Can you just leave some orange juice here?" she asked. "Sure," he said.  
  
Nikki laid back and wondered how long it'd be until she could get up. She found it very hard to sit still, even for a few minutes. So if this was what it was going to be like for a few DAYS, then she'd rather not.  
  
"Gotta get better," she mumbled to herself before falling asleep.  
  
**Next chapter will be about Riley and Liz** 


	39. RIley likes Liiiiiiiiz

In The Best Interest--"RIley likes Liiiiiiiiz"  
  
**Second time having to write this, grrr...STupid computer! Anyways, skipping the Nikki sick thing just cuz. Another NIkki story is coming up soon, though. If you wanna see a chapter on a particuliar person, tell me please. Ones coming up are Mark and Nikki of course and Sam is coming back. Oh yeah and Alison.**  
  
Riley laid his head on his desk before the social studies (Unit Four-Pre- Historic Europe) book that was propped up. He looked around. most of his classmates were doing this. In fact, the only ones paying attention were Benji, Alison, Liz and Mark (who really couldn't afford not to pay attention). Riley was using their secret code to talk to Nikki, Kristin and Katie were playing tic-tac-toe, Cole was sleeping, and anyone else was, too.  
  
"I won!" Katie said in a loud whisper. "Not-uh you cheated!" Kristin protested. "How?" katie challenged. "I don't know you just did-Oh, HI Peter," Kristin said innocently, quickly hiding the scratch paper.  
  
"Riley! Do you havea question?" Peter asked a few minutes later. "Huh?" Riley popped his head up. "I wasn't sleeping!" was his next remark. "That's funny, I didn't say that," Peter said. "Dang." Riley mumbled. "Any questions about Europe before I collect the books, this unit is over."  
  
"Isn't Spain in South America?" Riley asked. Sad thing was, he wasn't playing (A/N: Me and Andrew Coggins actualyl thought this! So leave Riley alone, hehe). Peter stared at him. "You're kidding, right?" he asked hopefully. "No.." Riley mumbled. "No, Riley, it's in Europe."  
  
Peter let them go and Riley ran out immidiately and forgot about his homework on his desk. Liz ran up to him and handed the sheets to him. "Thanks,' he said. She didn't answer. "Liz, right?" he asked. She didn't talk much, and it was a wonder loud Riley even took an interest with her.  
  
She nodded and smiled a little. He had never seen her smile. She wasn't usually pretty grim, and accorindg to Nikki, in the dorms when it was lights out she was asleep. No chats for her. In fact, if it hadn't been for her yelling at Sam that one day, he would've never even known what she sounded like.  
  
She then walked away, still grinning. "Wow," Riley mumbled as he adjusted his books. Nikki walked up besides him. "Wht's up with you? Heloooooo? RILEY!" she snapped, waving her hands in front of his face. He snapped out of it. "Wha-Oh, hey." he said.  
  
"Okay, who do you like?" she demanded. "What are you talking about?" he asked. "You know!" "Okaay, okay, geez..I think Liz is cute..I don't LIKE her. I don't even know her. Got it?" he asked. She rolled her eyes. "Whatever."  
  
He grinned as she walked off. It was so fun to annoy her.  
  
**Adam does think it's fun to annoy me! He'll just stare, and make funny faces when I'm asking questions until he finally just cracks up cuz I'm getting annoyed!** 


	40. Welcome Back, Sam

In The Best Interest--Welcome Back, Sam  
  
**What are you confused about? Sorry if this story goes so fast. This isn't my story that I work on all the time, ti's my 'when I have time', and that's why it's so long. Here are updates on the characters:  
  
SAM went home for awhile after his parents revealed that they aren't his real parents, but the ones who adopted him after his biological mother murdered all his siblings except one, the one he just met. He's coming back in this chapter.  
  
Alison, nothing really going on w/ her but that'll change.  
  
Benji still likes Sam, and can't help it, even though Sam was so cruel to him before he left.  
  
Riley has a crush on Liz, even though he's never even heard her talk except for once.  
  
Liz is still pretty much mute, however when she screamed at Sam for being mean to Benji, Peter gets suspicious.  
  
Nikki is getting over the flu and is a little jealous of Liz, because Riley's only liked her as a best friend even though she had a crush on him.  
  
Katie, nothing much is happening, but it will be soon.  
  
Mark is going to get help from Auggie on how to get over his problem, because after everyone finds out that he can't read, Mark gets depressed.  
  
And Kristin and Cole are okay, but there's not gonna e a lot on them since it's for hte newbies.  
  
**The chapter**  
  
Sam slowly got out of the cab. He shoved the money in the driver's hand and watched as he sped off. His parents had to attend Max's game. Theonly thing that had changed was that he now fit in somewhere-in Roger's World. He was still the outcast, only now he knew why.  
  
He trudged to Peter's office. "Hey, Sam!" Peter and Sophie greeted him. Sam managed a smile. "Where're your parents?" Sophie asked. "I took a cab," was his answer, "they had a game to go to..Max's.." he explained, shrugging.  
  
After he had gotten checked in, he walked to the boys dorm to unpack. No one was there. When he got outside, he saw them stretched out along the benches. Literally, stretched out. A few greeted him, namely Mark and Riley, while the others ignored him. Benji saw him and fell off the bench, and Sam rolled his eyes.  
  
"Forget it, Wassimo," he snapped. "Why'd you leave?" Nikki asked as Sam took the only empty seat next to her. "Stuff," he responded as he took out his binder.  
  
**Yeah, the chapter was ridiculiously short but didn't know how to bring Sam in...Gotta go work on my others now** 


	41. Liz and KatieRiiiiight

In The Best Interest--Katie and Liz...Riiight....  
  
**The title isn't what it sounds like, you sick monkey heads. Please review and check out my new HG story "Facing the Past"!**  
  
Liz had no idea that anyone liked her. In fact, she had felt like scum since her dad abandoned her. It had been the night after...Well, after her worst nightmare had occured. Her older brother's friend...He had done it. Sent away her father.  
  
Because he had caught Mike trying to make Liz kiss him, only he had thought that Liz was doing it willingly. The next day, he told Liz's mom that he didn't want to live in an "unholy" environment and had split, taking Liz's siblings.  
  
___________  
  
Katie was trying to devise new ways to torture the fellow students of Horizon, along with Kristin of course, when she saw Liz past. "Hey, Liz! C'here," Katie said. Liz stood her spot, but made eye contact. "Come on, we're trying to figure out how to put a stink bomb in the kitchen without getting stuck wiht the blame. ANy ideas?"  
  
"It won't work, Katie, we already put one in Peter's office. No one else has done that," Kristin tried to say, "believe me!" "Aww shuddup!" Katie said playfully and turned back to Liz, just in time to see her walk off.  
  
"I wonder what's up with her?" Kristin wondered. "Who knows?" Katie responded. "I just remembered..uhh, I've got to finish my homework." she then said. Kristin was disapointed until she realized, as Katie ran off towards Liz, that..."Hey, I'm in your classes! We didn't have any homework!"  
  
Katie ran up besides Liz. "What's wrong with you?" Katie asked, being straightforward instead of playihng the nice crap which obviously wasn't going to make her talk. Liz didn't answer. "Haylo! Y'know, I don't, but a lot of the kids think you're retarded or something becuase you don't talk. I think it's stupid, but it's true. That they think that, I mean. Not you're retarded."  
  
"I don't talk because I don't have anything to say." was Liz's muffled response. "WHy?" Katie urged her to go on. At first Liz didn't answer, but then she was tired of holding bakc. "Because I hate everyone freaking body. If it wasn't for scums like Sam then my dad wouldn't have left. But no, Mike had to freaking do that..And dad had to walk in. so, fuck everybody!" Liz screamed.  
  
Katie stood back in surprise, not talking. Then, as if she had been holding those few sentances in forever, Liz went back to being mute.  
  
"Did he..." Katie trailed off. "No. he tried to...He started kissing me, but then dad walked in. He didn't want to live in a fucking unholy house. He was always a religious freak." she mumbled, "I thought he knew me better than he really did."  
  
"Liz, don't let assholes like that ruin your life. You deserve to be able to be a normal kid. Don't like Mike or your dad hold you back. It's not your fault."  
  
In a way, without knowing it, Katie was helping herself, too.  
  
**NExt few chapters: Will Liz learn to accept Riley's crush...Will they go out?...Will Katie tell anyone her secret?...Will Alison learn that being pretty isn't everything...Nikki's jealous...HHAHAHHHHHAAAAAAA Please review!** 


	42. Yeah Chapter, but read the an at the beg...

in the best interest-assignments  
  
**sorry if it seems like nikki is getting shown to much. i'm going thru a lot and its easier to write it out. but this isnt even gonna come close to being a nikki story. i'm just warning u if it seems like nikki is getting a lot of attention. please review if you wanna see more of specific character just tell me and i'll try. there are a few characters i'm thinking of sending home but i don't know. well bye. sorry this message looks like crap, don't feel like hitting the shift key. yes im lazy. oh well.**  
  
It was 8:45 AM, and class was about to start. Peter hadn't walked in yet, and Nikki and Riley weren't there yet, either. Everyone else was either sleeping or trying to get last nights homework done.  
  
**With Riley and Nikki**  
  
"Why don't you just tell him, Nikki?" Riley demanded. Nikki sighed. "I don't know, okay? I just don't feel like it." "IF you're like this you don't need to act like you're happy!" he snapped. She glared at him. "You're not my dad, Riley. I can take care of myself!" she yelled. "I'm just trying to help," he muttered, hurt that she wouldn't let him help her. "Well if I want your help I'll ask." was her answer. "But you don't ASK! That's just it, you won't take help from anyone!" he said, throwing his hands up in exasperation.  
  
Riley ran to class, walking in just as Peter sat down. Riley walked up to his desk, expecting a lecture. "So you decided to show, Riley? Is Nikki trying to be fashionably late, too?" Peter asked, raising an eyebrow. Riley shrugged. "I wouldn't know." Peter looked at him. "RIley-" "I don't know where she is, okay?" "Do you want to talk about something?" Peter asked. Riley didn't answer for a minute. Then he nodded slowly. "She doesn't talk to me anymore." Riley mumbled then went and sat down.  
  
FIve minutes later Nikki still hadn't shown up. Sophie walked in and looked around. The class was quiet-Sam was drawing, Riley was glaring ahead, the others doing various things. The others...Except Nikki. She walked up to Peter.  
  
"Where's Nikki? Is she sick? I didn't see her in the nurse's office." Sophie remarked. Peter shook his head, "I thought she was with you. Rileycame in and was upset. I..." he trailed off. "I'll go look for her," Sophie said. Just then, Nikki walked in.  
  
"Uh, sorry I...I was in the nurse's office. Had a headache," Nikki mumbled and went to sit down. "NIkki," Peter stopped her. SHe rolled her eyes and turned around. "What?" she mumbled. "Come outside with me, please." She froze in her step. "I'm sorry, geez Peter..." she trailed off. "Nikki." he said sternly.  
  
She walked outside reluctantly and Peter followed her. "NIkki, what's up?" he asked her. "Nothing." she answered. "There's not? Why were you so late?" "Fifteen minutes isn't late." "It is when the school isn't three minutes from the dorms."  
  
"I'm sorry. God what do you want?! It's not like I was skipping!" she said, her voice raising. "Do you promise me there's nothing wrong?" he asked. "I don't promise anything anymore. Can I go back inside? I'm wasting precious learning moments here. Wouldn't wanna get dumb now would I?" she asked sarcastically and easily slid past him and walked to her desk. Sophie met him halfway as he was walking back to his desk. "Anything?" he shook his head, "but I have a feeling that Riley knows something."  
  
Sophie walked out and Peter got on with the assignment, but he couldn't concentrate because it seemed so...quiet. Nikki was staring out the window and Riley was just staring ahead.  
  
"...It's due tomorrow, no groaning," since the main groaning came from Katie, Kristin (who were both trying to wake up still) and Riley and Nikki, there was no groaning except more Mark and Cole, "I want you to write about one thing you wish would change in the world. It doesn't have to be the biggest, but just off the top of your head one thing. Any questions?"  
  
Cole raised his hand. "How long this time?" he asked. "Just as long as it takes. As long as it takes to give a reason, explain it, and make sure your sentances are complete and structured."  
  
Sam didn't even have the energy to crack jokes that Mark just might not understand that english lingo. Peter sighed. it was sort of depressing. He figured that, between Mark and Sam fighting, Benji and Sam fighting, Cole and Mark talking, Katie and Kristin talking to falling asleep, and Nikki and Riley not helping at all, it would take at least two hours to get through that.  
  
"Any other questions?" Katie raised her hand. "Since no one is really in the mood to learn, and you're obviously not in the mood to teach, I think we should be dismissed early. And some people didn't get to sleep until 3 AM." She pointed out.  
  
Peter eyed her for a second. "Those certain people need to quit doing that then." he said. "What about the other thing? Come on Peter it's not like any of us is going to answer any questions. We're all brain dead."  
  
"Alright alright.. But expect more stuff tomorrow," he warned. They all jumped up and ran out. Except Nikki and Riley, who slowly got their stuff together and left seperately. "Riley, you can go to my office now." Peter said.  
  
When they were in his office, Peter began to ask. "What's up?" Riley was hesitant at first. "I think something's wrong with Nikki..I think her meds are wrong."  
  
"That's not what you were going to say, Riley." Peter answered knowingly. "You don't know what I was going to say!" Riley snapped and it was quiet. "It wasn't what I was gonna say. i would tell you but I can't. I promised. but I tink her essay might say something about it. If she does it."  
  
"Riley you said something about her meds earlier. What's that about?" "I thought you knew? SHe use to take prozac." RIley asnwered in a confused tone. Peter shook his head. "It's not on here."  
  
"Well it was before I knew her..She moves an awful lot. In the 5th grade she took it but her mom never took her back to get her prescription filled." "Fifth grade..." Peter said thoughtfully. He remembered reading that that wasn't her best year with the law or the school system. "Yeah. Her science teacher was kinda mean. SHe doesn't have ADD like people think she does. She's real hyper, yeah, but she takes ritalin because it calms her down and because it kinda regulates something in her brain..The prozac messed it up because hse started taking it and then stopped and it was on off. Since she was young it messed up her head." Riley explained.  
  
"How do you know all this? Did she tell you?" Peter questioned. "Nah. I mean, some of it. But my mom takes prozac to and I asked her what would happen if a kid took it on off and she said it could mess up something in their brain, I forgot what. Then I just pieced it together."  
  
"You're a good friend RIley." "I wish she'd think the same way." "RIley you know she does. She just tries to cover up things but ignoring people. You do it, too." "Whatever!"  
  
*That whatever was kinda sarcastic like, but not like he didn't believe Peter. Just a joking way. Well yeah long chapter. And to make up for it being on Nikki, after this thing is over I'm gonna concentrate on the other characters. The ones I wanna send home are Sam and Liz. Sam more becuase...Well his problem is kinda solved. And Liz because shes boring. Yeah. Well I don't feel like talking. bye.** 


	43. essays

In The Best Interest--"Essays"  
  
**Yeah. Sorry I haven't been updating much. Have felt like shit bsaically. Don't know why. Yeah. This chapter will feature all the kids. Wonderful. Riiight.Warning: This is gonna be a long chapter.**  
  
"Okay did everyone do their essays?" Peter asked the next day. Everyone was on time for once, and since they hadn't done much yesterday, almost everyone looked awake, or at least alive. He didn't get a very verble answer, just a few mumbles but since no one said 'no' then he took it as every had.  
  
"I'm just going to go in seating order, alright?" he said. "Sure!" Cole exclaimed. "Easy for you to say, you're one of the last ones!" Sam mumbled as he stood up reluctantly. "First say your topic, and if anyone is offended they can wait outside."  
  
"It's on adoption and it's consequences of splitting up families." Sam explained. No one got up.  
  
"I think that the adoption people shouldn't split up families, especially after going through something like me and my brother, Roger, did. That's wrong and it ruins kids' lives. That's all really. Sorry Peter." Sam mumbled. "It's fine, Sam. Very good, but if you could, could you explain yourself a little more tonight?" Sam nodded and sat down.  
  
Mark stood up. "It's on foster families. Foster families should only take in kids they know about. If the kid has had a bad past that might make them angry and the family doesn't know it, the family thinks the kid is just a trouble maker. So, they move it around, home after home. Because of this the kid will be even more screwed than before." Mark sat down just as quickly as he had said all that.  
  
Before Peter could say anything, Kristin stood up. "I think they should ban Avril-" Peter interupted, "Kristin..." he warned. "Peter you didn't give any restrictions." She pointed out. He rolled his eyes and motioned for her to go on. "I think they should ban Avril Lavigne. I know I'm not punk, but at least I'm not a poser. I think she bashes popstars because she's trying to cover up her own pop image. And..uhh, I kind of fell asleep so I didn't get to finish it," Kristin said with a sheepish look. "Just finish it later," Peter said.  
  
Riley stood up. "I think they should ban prescription pills. Sure it makes people feel better but lots of times they get addicted and then its the family that suffers just as much as the person was without them. Plus the child lock doesn't really work." he mumbled and sat down. Peter could actually relate to Riley's essay.  
  
Katie stood up. "It's about guys." Peter raised an eyebrow as Riley stood up. "I object!" he whined. She gave him a death glare and he sunk back down mumbling, "err..Never mind!"  
  
"I think guys should be banned because 99.9 percent of them are total..Jerks. Whoops, gotta scratch that word out. THey think they know everything and anything but really they have no idea. And-" she looked up, "and..and that's all," she mumbled and sat down quickly.  
  
Next was Nikki but she didn't stand up. "Nikki, could you please read your essay?" Peter asked. She was gonna say something smart but decided against it and stood up reluctantly. "All guy teachers should be banned." Nikki mumbled. Everyone quieted and turned to look at Peter, who didn't seem fazed. "Because they're usually sexist, and violent. And they suck." she said and sat down.  
  
She looked to see if Peter was getting angry but he was just giving her a curious look. It was Liz's turn. She didn't speak for a minute then finally said, "I think they should ban religion." Katie burst out, "I agree!" and Peter gave her a look of 'disapointment'. Or something.  
  
"I think they should ban religion because it makes parents go crazy. You mess up once and they run off." She looked at Peter. "You didn't say a length so..." she trailed off. "That's fine," Peter said.  
  
Cole stood up. "Um, I want to ban essays..Because I kind of didn't do it.." he said, turning red. Everyone laughed a little. "Nice, Cole. You have kitchens tonight alright?" Peter said. He nodded and sat down. Benji stood up reluctantly. "I wish we could ban Eminem."  
  
Sam, Mark, Katie and Kristin stood up. "We take offense to that!" and started to walk out but stopped in step when they saw Peter's 'death look'. "Ooh..that means sit down." Katie mumbled and they all sat down but Sam. "You said we could leave if we wanted. And we want to!" he protested. "I meant for something like religion, Sam!" he snapped. Sam rolled his eyes and sat down so Benji went on.  
  
"He turns people against people. He raps about violent things for no reason. I think he should be banned to stop violence." "That's bull!" Sam exclaimed. "Sam! Wood. Ben, that's good are you done?"  
  
Benji nodded and mumbled, "it's Benji." 


	44. Decisions go me

In the best interest  
  
**had this all done then tapiexe. UHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHh. Hate this computer. Haven't updated in 2 weeks. Har har. Hmm...Well leave some suggestions please. Really need them. This is where someone leaves, secrets start coming out, and the end nears.**  
  
___  
  
Cole had called Kristin and Cole to his office. For once they were not in trouble. He was there to give htem a decision: go or stay. Go back to where they came from, the Cliffhangers. Or stay in the cabins where they were.  
  
It had seemed like ages ago that Peter had yelled at them for ignoring him basically. It was a blur of children-depressed children (Liz; Mark; Sam), happy children (they all were at one point) and confused children (Katie; Nikki; Riley; Benji; Alison). A blur of essays, laughs, fights, secrets, shuns, and help.  
  
Cole and Kristin arrived, out of breath. "I didn't do it!" they said immidiately. "Hold up. You're here for a decision. Do you want to go back to the old cabins or stay? Either way, you'll have classes right where you are."  
  
Kristin spoke up immidiately. "Stay. I feel like I can be myself better around kids my age." she admitted. Cole took his time but finally said, "I want to go back. I don't really like being the oldest."  
  
"That's okay, but I'd like you to get back asap for group and to get re- adjusted." COle nodded and left.  
  
_________  
  
Peter was in his office when the phone rang. It was Sam's mom. "Peter, I know this sounds weird but we've come to a conclusion. We'd like Sam to come home. It would mean so much to us to be able to get to know him better. I mean, he's so distant. Especially lately. We'll be there tomorrow."  
  
She hung up; Peter was aghast. Parents usually didn't do this; he wondered how Sam would take it...  
  
**Short chapter I know but I wanted to get one out. Be backs oon w/ a real chapter. 


	45. Haha Untitled55555

In the Best Interest--"Trust"  
  
The next morning Peter slowly walked to the boy's dorm. He was going to have to tell Sam that he would be going home, permanently. He didn't have a chance, however, when Cole came jogging up to him. "Do you have a minute, Peter?" he asked. Peter looked at his watch. "I don't know, Cole..." Cole interupted, "it'll just take a minute. I've decided to stay. I mean, I fit in better with the older kids probably but I've gotten a few kids here, too." Peter nodded, "Thanks for telling me. Well, I don't know if you were there when Sophie told everyone, but we have the rope course today." he explained. Cole nodded. "Cool, thanks. See ya later. Oh yeah what time?" he asked. "Hmm... about an hour. 'til then, free time." he answered. Cole ran off.  
  
Peter walked into the boy's dorm. Sam was packing his bags. "Hey, Sam, what are you doing?" he asked. "Sophie already told me. DOn't worry. i'm fine. I think I'm actually kind of happy. I'll be able to spend time with my parents. Get to know them for once." Sam mumbled. "You sure, Sam?" He hesitated then nodded. "I guess..I guess knowing that I'm not Sam. I'm Sim..I guess knowing that is helping me. I don't know how to explain it. Look, they're driving up now. None of my brothers or my sister are in there. I'll be okay."  
  
It was a silent short walk to the car. Sam hugged his parents then turned to Peter, the light reflecting off his hair. "It's been really fun here, Peter." Sam admitted and shook hands with Peter. "Give this to Ben-Benji, alright?" Sam whispered, putting a letter scribbled on notebook paper in Peter's hands. Peter smiled. "You're a good kid, Sam," he said and patted Sam on the back. "If you ever need anything, just call." Sam nodded. He got into the car. "Bye." he called.  
  
__________________  
  
Peter walked to where the kids were huddled. He remembered the original bunch. Subtract Sam and Tori. Added Benji, Alison, Riley. Add Nikki.Benji was over by himself, staring at the wall and the ropes course that Peter had made.  
  
Peter walked over to Benji. "Hey, Benji. How are you?" Benji shrugged, "Great, as usual." "Sam wanted me to give you this." Peter said, putting the piece of paper in Benji's hands. "Great. Another put-down about-" Peter shook his head, "Read it, Benji. Just read it." he instructed.  
  
Then he walked to the front of the group. "Today, you'll be teamed up with a partner. On of you will be going across the course and I'll be on one side of you and your partner will be on the other. This excercise is to get you to trust your peers."  
  
"If we fall flat on our as-faces, how is that making us trust someone?" Katie asked. "Thta's why there will be someone on both sides of you so you don't fall." Peter pointed out. "Can we pick our own groups?" Mark piped up. Sophie shook her head. "That's not fair to some of you. The groups are as follows: Cole and Mark, Benji and Alison, Kristin and Katie, and Nikki and Riley." Peter raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?" he asked, motioning towards the Kristin and Katie, and Nikki and Riley groups. Sophie pulled him over. "I need to talk to Nikki. I think there's something really wrong. And I'd like to have ameeting with Alison. I don't think I've heard four words from her.About Kristin and Katie, I think that even though Kristin likes to test her limits and Katie, too, I think that they both know to be serious around this kind of stuff. I hope," she said.  
  
**I was going to include the events in this chapter but thenit will be really long and I wanna put 2 chapters up lol. Oh yeah and if yu like the show Boy Meets World I started a fic on that callled the Mistake. I'll start updating Facing the Past SOON, I promise but I've been getting into a LOT of trouble at chool lately lol and I'm on 3 types of probation (scholastic; bus; regular) so I'm not doing to well lol. Please review. You'll also find out what that letter siad..** 


	46. rooope

In The best Interest--"Trust 2"  
  
**Here are the groups so both you and I will remember lol...Cole/Mark;Benji/Alison;Katie/Kristin;Nikki/Riley.**  
  
"Okay, first up, Cole and Mark. Cole get up on the ropes first." Peter directed. Cole took one look at the ropes and shook his head. "Are you nuts, Peter?! Those ropes are about an inch thick!" he exclaimed. "Actually four and a half." Sophie said witha smirk. "Haha," Cole siad but he was grinning. "This isn't even fair," he grumbled as he slowly hoisted himself up, balancing himself as Peter, Sophie and Mark took their places. "I won't let you fall. If you give me five bucks," Mark teased as Cole started. "Mark!" the three said unison, "don't talk like that when he's up there, alright?" Sophie said. Mark nodded.  
  
Cole took a deep breath before he started. "That's it, Cole. Trust yourself is the first step." Sophie encouraged him. "Well excuse me, I don't feel safe trusting myself ten feet off the ground on a four inch rope!" he snapped bitterly. "Actually it's four and a half," Katie called. "Would you quit with the actually's?!" Cole exclaimed. "Cole, concentrate on what you're DOING, not htem. Katie..." peter said in a warning voice. Cole rolled his eyes and continued. When he get to the end, he jumped down..and tripped over the rope. Everyone burst out laughing except Peter and Sophie. "Hey!" they snapped. They helped Cole up; "Are you okay?" Cole, too, was laughing. "Sure, I meant to do that!" he said and took his position as Mark climbed up on the rope. Mark did it simply, jumping down and smirked at Cole.  
  
Cole rolled his eyes as Benji and Alison made their way to the ropes. Benji carefully climbed the ropes. Peter was surprised at how balanced he was. Quickly and carefully, he made it over the ropes. It was Alison's turn. Peter almost didn't let her go. She was so small..SHe looked like a porcelin doll. He was afraid-Something interupted his thoughts. As ALison struggled to get up, she had passed out.  
  
Sophie ran to her. She started hurrying out of the woods with Peter following. "I'll take her you stay here, I don't think you should trust teh four who haven't gone yet," Sophie said and Peter walked back, just in time to see Kristin hanging upside down on it. "Ooh! Ooh! Ooh-ee-ohh eehaa aa!" she croaked, imitating a monkey. "KRISTIN!" Peter snapped. Katie jumped and turned around guiltily. "Uh, oops," they said simontaneoulsy. Kristin dropped down and dusted herself off, grinning cheekily. "The evil forces made me do it." "Right. Now how about you do it the right way?" Peter suggested. "Sure." she answered.  
  
Kristin went first, climbing onto the rope. "I don't trust Katie, Peter," she whined. "That's the objection of this exercise, kiddo," was his remark. Katie smirked at her. "Don't worry. I won't grab your ankles and make you fall." she said innocently. "HAHA!" Kristin snapped. She sat down before climbing off and Katie got up. "Revenge is...sweet!" Kristin said, grinning at Katie. "Don't even!" Katie whined. Katie quickly did it, almost falling, and jumped off.  
  
'Are we in trouble?" Katie asked Peter. "Do you think you're in trouble?" Peter asked. "Well, from experience, I'd say yeah." "Right again." Peter answered  
  
Riley and Nikki walked over. Riley was so small that Peter had to help him up a little. However, being small helped, and it was simple for him to practically coast over the rope. He jumped down and smiled a little at Nikki which cheered her up a little. Nikki climbedup the rope and slipped a little. Just as Peter was getting ready to catch her, sher egained her balance. Notall the way at the end, she climbed off. "Why didn't you finish?" Peter asked gently. "I was gonna fall." she mumbled, "so what's the point?"  
  
"We'll talk later." Peter said, shaking his head. "Okay, guys, head back." 


	47. Alison

In The Best Interest--"The Truth about Alison"  
  
**Please review**  
  
Peter saw Sophie in the cafeteria with Alison. He walked in and saw Sophie talked, her face intently staring into Alison's. He caught bits of words as he neared them, including "eat, stepmom, Roger".  
  
"Hey, Alison. Feeling better?" he asked. She shrugged as she picked at the plate of food Sophie had provided. Sophie looked up at Peter. "How'd it go?" she asked. He shook his head, "those kids are truly nuts." She laughed a little and Alison cracked a smile.  
  
"I think we need to talk to CPS." Sophie admitted as Peter sat next to her. Alison heard and swung her head around, "About what? Roger? He's fine! My parents are-" SOphie interupted her, "No, no. Not about Roger. About your stepmother. Alison, you are a beautiful girl. She shouldn't have to control you!"  
  
Alison jumped up. "She doesn't control me! She just wants us to be a good family, okay?"  
  
"Alison, starving you is just as bad as beating you-" Peter tried to say, "How would you know?! Have you ever met her? or someone that's been beat? And compared them to me?" she snapped sarcastically. "Yeah, I have. There are kids here who have been beaten. Kids who I don't know, that are in your group and in other groups, that have been abused. You want us to compare you? Okay. I'll compare you to one of the kids in your group. When she came, she was a tiny bit bigger than you. Bruised, roughed-up, yeah you don't have those but you'll have the scars of being starved. That's bad, too, isn't it?" Peter asked. His voice wasn't angry or impatient as most people would've been; instead it was softly-spoken.  
  
SHe shrugged, "I don't want her to get in trouble. I'll just...When I get old enough, tkae Roger and leave. You don't call CPS or whatever." Peter studied her. "If you go home before your sixteenth birthdya, I'm calling CPS. You're not going home to that kind of treatment. Agreed?" He asked. Alison nodded. "Can I go now?"  
  
Sophie and Peter looked at her plate. To their surprise, it was cleaned. As they were talking to her, they hadn't really noticed her eating, strangely.  
  
They nodded. Alison ran out and Roger walked in. "Call, Peter." he reported. Peter nodded and walked to his office. "Hello?"  
  
Sophie walked in ten minutes later, as Peter saw at his desk. His face was a mixture of relief and anger; the files of the kids all laid neatly in boxes, except two. "Peter?" she asked.  
  
**That took..like, a week to write!** 


	48. His Letter

In The Best Interest--Ben's Letter  
  
**About 2 more chapters after this. Or 3...**  
  
Benji sat on his bed, looking at the ceiling. Then remembered the letter. He sat up and dug it out of his pocket, noticing that the writing was shaky and the paper a bit ripped.  
  
He didn't know what to do. At first, he had truly liked Sam...But he had been so cruel that now he felt stupid. And what if this letter was just ridicule? He was use to it but he was sick of it.  
  
Benji turned the letter over in his hands. It was on recycled paper, you could tell because the lines were a dark red and the paper had a brownish tint. It was folded up in squares, and on the front said, in large, sprawly handwriting, "TO: Benji, From: Sam". He finally opened it and read it:  
  
'Dear Benji  
  
I'm sorry. Yeah that's lame but I do feel bad. I'm use to living in an area where everyone knows your business and you know everything. But I realized, when I found out that I'm not Sam, that everyone has their faults and their ups and downs and just cuz your different doesn't mean you're bad. I should've realized that sooner, before I talked to you like that. I regret it more than anything. I don't know what else to say. If you ever get outta lock-down and get toa c omputer, my email address is thaReelSliMShaDy88@hotmail.pn ...I would give you my number but I think we may be moving back to Maine. Bye ad I'm really sorry.  
  
-Sam Campbell, ThaReelSliMShaDy88@Hotmail.pn  
  
Benji re-read the letter. He couldn't believe it; the 'almighty Sam Campbell'...apologizing? His thoughts were interupted as Mark walked in. "Benji, Peter's calling an emergency group. So..uhh...oh yeah we have to go now to the den." He reported and walked back out. Benji stood up and sgtretched, putting the letter back in his pocket. 


	49. Peter's Announcement

In The Best Interest--Peter's Announcement  
  
**Ok, I'll be finishing up this story tonight, GLADLY. I'm also taking a break from writing Higher Ground fics. Not because I'm losing interest, but because I wanna concentrate on my Boy Meets World story "The Mistake" and the novel over @ FictionPress.net called "...And Deliver Us From Evil". I'm gonna try to think of more original storylines after I finish up Facing the Past in a little while. I'm thinking about deleting Denial but I don't know yet. Umm...Whoa this story was exacly (well, it's going to be) 50 chapters and has 130 reviews-more than SOM! yay. hehe...What else? Umm..Oh yeah about the new storylines. I'm going to tRY to stop adding original characters. After FTP, with the exception of Kristin, I'm gonna start doing original, storylines with the original characters. Kristin is staying because I;m 13 and it's hard to write about things w/o a kid being in them, I know that sounds stupid. Enjoy this story and be glad it wasn't like SOM's ending!**  
  
Everyone was gathered into the den. Peter looked around. So much had changed. Sam and Tori had gone. Tori, he believed, couldn't be helped. At least, not with him. She needed someone like her sister. Sam, though...Sam was an amazing kid, but he tried to hide it but acting stupid so he wouldn't open up.  
  
Cole and Katie laughed together on one of the couches. He hadn't had time to reach Katie, yet. She was like Riley and Nikki and Kristin; they hid their pain by acting like it was okay, like there was nothing wrong. But he knew that, like with the others, that wasn't the case.  
  
Nikki, Kristin and Riley were on another couch, laughing about some joke. Both Nikki and Riley still had that sad, distant look in their eyes. But at least.At least now they could get more attention. Nikki had more to her than "the goofy kid that takes ritalin" and Riley was more than the "angry little funny boy" that people percieved them to be. Even if they were to not go to this place, with eachother, he thought that they would be fine together.  
  
Mark, Benji, and Liz also sat together. Benji and Mark were talking about the latest rock music and Liz was listening intently and even talking a little from time to time. Peter knew that Sam's letter had helped Benji believe that not all of the typical pretty-boys were jerks and that it was okay to be himself. Mark wa going to get much more help at the new place.  
  
Liz was a different story. Out of all the kids, Peter knew that she had progressed the most. She was the one least likely to have this comment made about her, but if Peter compared the image of the shy, timid little quiet girl she had came as to the confident, sweet quiet girl now, youcould tell. She may not talk a lot, but she talked about three times as much as she had when she got here.  
  
Sophie smiled at him and squeezed his hand. Only two would remain here after a week...With that thought, he prepared to make his announcement.  
  
"Guys!" he said loudly. The room quieted and everyone turned their attention to Peter and Sophie. "I have something to say. Most likely, you're not going to like it but I think it's for the best."  
  
He paused and thought of his words and decided to be straightforward.  
  
"After a week, you will no longer be going to Mount Horizon. You will be going to a camp about an hour away, north of here." 


	50. It's Always hard To Say GoodBye

In The Best Interest--It's Always Hard To Say Good-Bye  
  
**Enjoy this chapter! I hope you enjoyed this story and REVIEW!**  
  
"What?" Nikki exclaimed angrily. Everyone's reactions were pretty much the same. "I'm sorry, just listen..I got a call. This is NOT my choice; I would love for you guys to stay. I want to be the one to watch you grow and help you. But, I can't. The call was from a very nice man in northern Canada who use to run a public school. It recently closed because a new one was built and he heard of this school and decided to open a middle school like Horizon. Then, the directors of the middle school Horizon program heard of it and told us that we must send all of you there."  
  
"That's not fair! What's the difference?" Katie demanded angrily.  
  
"The school will be much more equipped with handling different problems. Here it's two schools combined so I can't dedicate my time to one group. There will be teachers that handle learning disabilities, social care workers, things like that."  
  
"When do we leave again?" Cole asked. "You and Kristin won't be leaving. Only the people who came especially for the program." Peter said, "but a week."  
  
"You know what? This really sucks!" Riley yelled and ran to the dorms, following by all the other kids.  
  
_____A week later  
  
They were being taken by bus. For some, it was the first on a school bus besides fieldtrips, but for most it was just a reminder of public school life.  
  
"I get the back!" Riley called. Peter had gotten all of them to calm down, somewhat. "So you're going to visit us sometimes, right? And bring Cole and Kristin?" Liz asked quietly. "Of course. Me and Sophie need to go down there sometimes, anyway for supplies, but sometimes we'll be bringing them."  
  
A man stepped off the bus. "Hi, guys," he said nervously. "Who're you?" Kristin asked. Peter nudged her and gave her a Look. "I'm the owner of the school most of you are going to, Damin Rogers." He said. "What do we call you?" Mark asked. "Damin. Or Mr. Rogers if you want to be all technical," he said, shrugging. "No, Mr. Rogers sounds like that old TV guy," Mark remarked.  
  
"Why do we have to go with you anyway?" Riley asked. "Riley!" Peter scolded. "Well I've guess you met Riley. The others are Mark, Benji, Nikki, Katie and Liz. These are Kristin and Cole," Sophie introduced all of them, then pointed to the two standing behind Peter.  
  
"Hey, guys," Damin said. Various ways of "hi" were grunted between the group. "Well, we're suppose to be back soon, so...Do you have all your stuff together?"  
  
"No, we're just-I mean, uh, yes," Katie said when she saw Sophie's look. "They're still a little angry about having to leave," she apologized. "THat's fine, I understand. change it hard. But I think it'll be alright." Damin said, shrugging off their anger.  
  
There were a few awkward moments then Damin spoke up. "Unfortunately, I think we better get going. I'll get on the bus for you all to say good- bye."  
  
He got on the bus and again, it was silent. "Let's not say bye," Sophie started slowly then continued, "We'll see eachother again. So it's just a...see you later. Think of it like that."  
  
That made them a little happier. They said their good-byes or "see ya laters" and got on the bus. soon, only Nikki and Riley stayed. "Thanks Peter, Sophie," they said. They exchanged kids and Peter got eyelevel with them. "You two have a lot of potential. Don't forget that. Stay with eachother no matter what. Promise?" he asked. They nodded.  
  
"See you soon?" Sophie asked as they were getting on the bus.  
  
They both turned around and Riley spoke for them, "See ya soon."  
  
**ahh hoped you liked it!** 


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